Changing Times
by imaginarydeathmuffin
Summary: I knew nothing of my family. I didn't know who my mother or father was. I didn't even know if I had siblings or not. That's why I left; I wanted to find the part of me that was missing. Takes place during first PotC.
1. Escaping the Orphanage

My footsteps made no sound as I tiptoed across the lawn of the orphanage, heading for the gate.

Finally, on this crisp, cool night, one of my lifelong dreams was about to come true. All I had to do was get past the gate and sprint towards the town's dock as fast as my legs could carry me. The long black cloak tied around my neck, concealed the locket that was my most prized possession.

Reaching the gate, I grasped one of the rusted bars with my hand and breathed out a sigh of relief.

_Finally_

I started to push it open, but stopped short when a sharp voice whispered from behind me.

"What do you think you're doing?"

My feeling of relief and happiness was suddenly washed away and replaced with dread as though someone had dumped a bucket of water over my head. I slowly turned to find, not an adult as I had feared, but a blond haired girl around my age staring at me with a horrified and angry expression.

"Carla?" I breathed out, my sense of dread vanishing; and instead relief returning, I was suddenly nervous.

"What are you doing?" She heatedly whispered to me once more.

"Me? I was... Uh…" I started to say, but stopped when I couldn't think of an explanation off the top of my head.

"You're trying to sneak out again, aren't you?"

I sighed; I really needed to work on lying off the top of my head.

Carla rolled her eyes. "Well, if you are, you better be back by morning."

She started to leave but I reached out and grabbed her hand, making her turn around once more.

"If I sneak out this time…" I started, and bit my lip. If I said the rest of my sentence, I knew that she would kill me. "I'm not going to come back."

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped; she appeared surprised and I braced myself for a punch in the face.

"What?" She asked after a moment.

"Carla, I'm leaving."

"You...can't..."

"Yes, I can; and I am."

We didn't say anything for a few moments, which surprised me. I would've thought that I'd be laying on the ground unconscious and beaten to a pulp from what I'd just told her.

"Why?" Her voice was hardly more than a whisper and sounded as if she was about to cry.

"Carla..." I sighed, letting go of her hand and dropping mine to my side. "I feel as if some part of me is blank and empty, and it needs to be filled in...with something."

I absentmindedly raised my hand to the locket and stroked it, feeling the hole on the side where a key was supposed to unlock it, a key that I didn't have and probably never would.

"Are you having one of those moments, again?" Carla said, interrupting my thoughts.

'Those moments' were when I was thinking about my mother, why she dumped me in an orphanage, and if I left if I could find her.

You see, I was born at the orphanage about ten years ago. As far as the people working there could tell me, my mother came in one night after coming over from some island faraway and gave birth to me. She hardly told them anything, not her name, where she was living; only what she wanted to name me.

Cassandra Livingston

_"Her grandmother's first name and my maiden name." _She had explained to them.

Then, the very same night while everyone was asleep; she left. Leaving me at the orphanage with no information about her; just a locket she had left that wouldn't open without the key, which I did not have.

I tried many times to open it by picking at the lock, but it would never swing open to reveal whatever may lie inside it.

Carla suddenly snapped her fingers in front of my face, making me jump and look at her.

"Yeah, you were, weren't you?"

I groaned slightly; I hated it when she did that.

She looked positively alarmed. "Look, just cause you always get one of those moments doesn't mean that you can suddenly decide to leave one night to try and find some woman you know nothing about!"

When I didn't respond she threw her hands up in the air. "For all you know, Cassandra, she could be dead!"

"I know."

"Then why are going to leave?"

"Because..." I started, turning my head and looking in the direction of the nearby dock. "I feel like...I have to. And if I don't, I'm going to miss the most important thing that will ever happen to me."

It was her turn to groan; she ran her hands through her hair and looked up into my eyes.

"Nothing I say is going to change your mind, is it?" She asked me, after a moment of complete silence.

"No."

She stood there for a moment, then took a deep breath and pulled me into a hug.

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you as well."

We pulled apart, our eyes about to overflow with tears. I stepped back, turned, and pushed the gate open. I stared at the wide open road in front of me for a moment, then took a step past the imprint of the gate was when it was shut.

_I'm free._

I didn't know what caused me to do it, but I screamed with joy and ran down the path. I never looked back, even though I wanted to see Carla's look of either sadness or annoyance one last time.


	2. Getting Off The Island

I sighed to myself as I listened to the waves break against the rocks by the small island's dock; it seemed to make me realize even more that I was now free. I walked right to the edge of the dock and froze when another realization hit me: Now I was here, who was going to give me a lift?

My sudden fear became the last thing on my mind when I heard a sharp voice yell from behind me.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?"

I slowly turned to find the voice's owner: an old man with quite a few grays but still had some light brown hair poking out from under the hat he was wearing, his teeth were yellow, but at least he still had them. He walked towards me and looked down at me sternly.

"Where are your folks? Little girls like you shouldn't be alone at this time of night."

I started to speak but stopped myself; if I told him why I was there, I'd probably be at the orphanage in ten minutes waiting for the worst beating I've ever received from Ms. Carter. He looked at me for another moment before he sighed; he knelt down to my level and looked me in the eye. There was no more sternness; just understanding.

"I've gotten tons of kids like you before; all trying to run away from the orphanage."

I was shocked into more silence.

"Most of them were able to get away, with the help of Martin. Only the one last week wasn't able to make it to the other island."

I knew he was talking about poor little Billy, who at the moment had two broken legs and a several deep cuts all over his body from the horrible beating he had received from Ms. Carter.

He put his hands on my shoulder. "Look, Martin was arrested for helping you all out, and everyone else is too scared to help anyone off this island. You might as well run back to the orphanage and hope they didn't notice you had left."

_What? I came all this way just to be told it was no use? I should just go running back to beatings, days without food, and other horrible things?_

"I can't go back! I bet they already know I'm gone! Carter has eyes everywhere! Including the back of her horns! If I go back-" I started but he cut me off.

"You're just going to have to accept it, I'm sorry."

He stood up and started to walk away; with tears in my eyes I clinched my hands together into a fist making my nails dig into the palm of my hand. "So that's it? No other option?"

He didn't turn, but just kept walking as if he hadn't heard me. By this time he was already at the door of his little house by the dock.

"Why can't you do something?" I yelled, the tears finally starting to roll down my face.

Now he had one hand on the doorknob, but he didn't turn it and walk inside. He stared at it for a moment, not moving, then he slowly turned his head slightly to look at the boat that was behind him.

I saw him bit his lip for half a second; I then gave up and started to turn and slowly walk back up the path to the orphanage.

"Wait!" His voice suddenly yelled out.

I turned to find him walking towards me, looking as though he regretted the decision he was about to make. When he finally made it to me, he looked me over for a moment then sighed.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Cassandra Livingston."

He sighed again and put on a fake smile. "Look, Cassandra. If I get caught for trying to help you out...." He trailed off, but still kept his eyes locked with mine.

No one, never, had ever done something like this for me before. My heart felt as if it was in my throat and tears of joy were slowly rolling down my face.

"You're...going to help me?"

He rolled his eyes. "I guess you could say that."

Before he could say anything else; I threw my arms around him, making him stop and looked positively alarmed that a little girl was hugging him.

He didn't put hug me back, but awkwardly peeled me off of him and back up few steps. "Right, well..."

"Thank you." I said, tears still welling up in my eyes.

"It's nothing." He quickly said, turning to walk down the dock to the smallest boat docked there.

"Come on. We have little time before they realize you're gone."


	3. Meeting Will

The next morning, I woke up to find nothing but a blue cloudless sky overhead.

For a moment I wondered what was going on before memories of last came flooding back to me: The old man agreeing to help me get away and falling asleep on the boat.

I slowly lifted myself up, looking around at my surroundings: nothing but open water.

"Ah, I see you're up." The old man said from behind me, making me jump.

"Oh… yeah."

He looked at me for a moment, then handed me a piece of bread. "It was all I was able to find for breakfast." He said simply, turning so he wasn't facing me anymore.

I went quiet; I was guess he wasn't a very talkative person. I stood up and walked over to stand beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me and for just a flicker of a second, I swear I saw a little bit a of happiness, but when I looked closer it was gone and replaced with blank emotionless.

I swallowed and bit my lip. "Thank you."

Three days later, we finally made port in Port Royal. He smiled when I took my first step off the boat and onto unfamiliar territory.

"Is this what you wanted? Being all alone with no one here to help you?"

It wasn't exactly what I had dreamed about; but it was much better than being at the orphanage.

"Yes."

He didn't speak for a moment, but looked me over. "You know, most kids don't have much confidence as you do."

I smiled. "All I know is; no matter how many things go wrong...everything will turn out fine in the end."

I then turned without another word and walked down the dock, not knowing where to go or what to do.

I never had really planed what I was going to do once I was free; since I had only made the decision to leave the orphanage days ago. So I stuck to the streets that were crowded with people pushing past one another to get from point A to point B.

Hardly paying attention to anything around me; I looked at the scenery. Palm trees, ocean, salty sea air, and-

"Ouch!"

I had run face first into someone's out stretched elbow and fell to the ground. The owner of the elbow, which looked to be a boy only a couple years older than me with dark brown eyes to match his dark brown hair, helped me to my feet.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." I told him, holding my nose.

"It's quite, alright." He said, picking up the things I had knocked out of his arms.

I started to walk away when he put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me back. I looked at him curiously while he looked at me for a moment.

"What?" I asked.

"Your nose is bleeding."

I slowly lifted my hand up to feel my nose and sure enough, I left warm blood slowly oozing out of my nose.

"Crap."

Perfect. The first five minutes of truly being free and I was already injured. I suddenly had a flashback from when Carla called me a klutz.

"Here, let me help." The boy said, taking my other non-bloody hand and leading me through the crowd.

I felt nervous. A complete stranger had never shown me this much compassion before, and I didn't expect it.

He lead me to a small back alley that you would miss unless you were looking hard enough; we walked right to where there was a set of double doors with a sign above it signaling it was were the blacksmith was.

He opened them and lead me inside where there was many swords laying around the place, along with a mule connected to a contraption I had never seen before.

"Why did you-" I started to say but was cut off from a loud abrupt snore coming from our right. I whirled around to find a man laying in a chair, clearly drunk, and asleep with a bottle of rum in his hand.

The boy sighed. "Mr. Brown's out again for the day."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Again?"

"He's out every day." He explained, letting go of my hand and walking away.

I had the urge to follow, but stayed put; after a moment he stopped and looked back at me.

"Well, come on if you want something to clean your face off with."

I rushed toward him, hoping I didn't look like a moron while doing it. We walked toward the back where there was pile of cloth laying by the fire place; he picked one off and handed it to me. I gladly took the piece of cloth and started wiping the blood off my face.

"I haven't seen you around here before." He suddenly said, watching me.

"I just got here, no less than twenty minutes ago."

He nodded in understanding. "Where are your parents?"

"I...don't have any." I said slowly; I expected him to cringed and sympathize, not give me a small smile and sigh.

"You, too?"

"You're an orphan?" I asked surprised.

"Sort of, I wasn't never in an orphanage since I still had my mother looking after me."

"What happened?"

He sighed again and sat down in the chair nearest to him. "It's kind of a long story." He said, looking down at the floor.

I smiled. "I love stories, even long ones."

He looked up at me curiously. "What's your name?"

"Cassandra Livingston and you?"

He stuck out his hand. "Will Turner."

I took it. "Nice to meet you, Will."

That was how I met my best friend.


	4. Deliveries

**_Eight Years Later_**

Will, I had found out soon after becoming a close friend with him, was an apprentice blacksmith. While he was being a blacksmith, I became a tailoring apprentice.

It wasn't really my choice to become a tailor, but Will had grabbed my arm one day and dragged me down the the sewing shop and make me get a job.

It wasn't the best of pay, but it was still better than nothing. I also had the satisfaction of a job well done; even if no one would tell me so.

Will and I were both under appreciated in our jobs; whenever when we would deliver the orders people would ask for, they would never thank us but instead ask that our master's know they did a fine job.

The sad part was that both of our master's didn't do anything during the day.

Will's master, Mr. Brown, sat around all day drinking rum while mine, Ms. Spencer, walked around the town all day gossiping with the locals.

But, Will and I liked what we did (minus the under appreciation) and we always did our best; and because of that, the governor of Port Royal had asked Will to make a sword for the upcoming ceremony for the new Commodore Norrington and for me to make a dress for his daughter, Elizabeth Swann.

That was pretty much the reason why Will and I were at the governor's household in the front hall waiting for the governor to come downstairs and pick up his orders.

Will stood behind me, the box which the sword was in under his arm. I was whistling to myself and holding the box which the dress resided in when I loud clang come from behind me.

I turned to find Will, holding a piece of the sconce that he had been studying. He looked around frantically before stuffing the piece into a large vase that held a number of canes and umbrellas.

"Smooth." I said, making him glare at me.

"Ah, Mr. Turner and Miss Livingston. Good to see you, again." A voice said. We both looked up to see Governor Swann walking down the stairs.

Will put on a fake smile and set down his box on the table by the stairs. "Good day, sir. We have your orders."

He opened the case to reveal the sword; Governor Swann took the sword and unsheathed it, looking impressed.

"The blade is folded steel. That's gold filigree laid into the handle." Will explained and the governor examined it.

"If I may?" Will asked him, showing that he wanted the sword. The governor handed it to him and he balanced it on the tips of his fingers.

"Perfectly balanced; the tang is nearly the full width of the blade." With that being said; Will flipped the sword into the air and caught it, presenting it to the Governor.

"Impressive. Very impressive. Commodore Norrington is going to be very pleased with this." He re-sheathed the sword and handed it to Will who put it back in it's case. "Do pass my compliments onto your Master, hmm?"

I saw a flicker of annoyance cross Will's face, but he kept it hidden when he spoke. "I shall. A craftsman is always very pleased to have his work appreciated."

The governor turned to me. "Miss Livington."

I walked to him, opening my box. "The dress you ordered, sir."

He didn't seemed as interested as he did with the sword which I was grateful of; I didn't feel like giving a whole presentation on a dress.

He took the box from my hand and closed the lid. "Ah, very nice. Please tell your mistress she did a fine job."

I had the sudden urge of taking the dress back and ripping it up.

"Of course, sir." I said, hoping my voice didn't sound angry to him.

Sudden footsteps on the stairs made us all look up to see a young woman Will's age with dirty blond hair and brown eyes making her way down them.

"Oh, Elizabeth, you look absolutely stunning." Governor Swann told his daughter.

Elizabeth didn't pay attention to her father's remark but brightened up when she caught sight of Will.

"Will! It's so good to see you! I had a dream about you last night."

I wasn't the only one in the room who's eyes went wide.

"About me?" Will asked her, looking at her in disbelief.

Her father looked uncomfortable. "Yes, well, is that entirely proper for you to-"

"About the day we met, do you remember?" Elizabeth asked, cutting her father off.

"How could I forget, Miss Swann?" Will asked, making her smile.

"Will, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth?"

Will was quiet for a moment before answering. "At least once more, Miss Swann, as always."

Elizabeth had a slight look of anger and annoyance but shook it off as her father spoke.

"There. See? At least the boy has sence of propriety. Now, we really must be going." The governor said, walking towards the door.

Elizabeth looked Will over for second. "Good day, Mr. Turner." She said rather stiffly before turning to me and giving me a full smile. "Have a wonderful day, Cassandra."

With that being said, she quickly rushed out the door and followed her father to the carriage. Will rushed out behind her.

"Good day!" He called to her.

Elizabeth was riding away in the carriage when he spoke softly.

"Elizabeth..."


	5. Back At The Workshop

"You missed a spot."

My voice rang through the small blacksmith workshop, bouncing off the walls making it echo. Will stopped sweeping and looked up at the beam I was sitting on above him and glared at me.

"If you think my cleaning skills are that bad you can come down here and do it yourself."

I slid off the beam, landed on two feet, and walked over to him. "I can't because first of all: I don't work here; and secondly: I don't want too."

He sighed and went to back to sweeping, mumbling curses under his breath.

I looked around, noticing that he and I were the only ones in the workshop at the present time. I sat down in Mr. Brown's chair and watched as Will swept the floor angrily.

"Why are you so angry?" I asked, making him stop once more and looked at me.

"Because, you keep interrupting me when I'm trying to do my work."

I smiled; after knowing Will for so long, you know that whatever he told you when you asked him a question about how he was feeling probably wasn't the truth.

"You're not mad at me, you're just frustrated by the situation and you're taking out on me."

"What situation?" He asked, but I ignored him and continued.

"It was just like yesterday when I was making a dress and I poked myself with the needle and called you an ugly haired mega bitch. That's why we made the rule about not taking our anger out on one another even when we're pissy about other stuff."

"Look, I don't have time for this...and I don't even know what you're talking about." He said, going back to sweeping the floor.

I smiled. "It's about Elizabeth, isn't it?"

He stopped for a split second then went back to sweeping; he tried to find his face from me even though I could see the hint of red starting to cover his face. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I laughed. "You're a horrible liar."

"Leave me alone." He responded, his face very red now.

"So it is about Elizabeth! Would you like to tell me why?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at his awkward behavior.

"It's none of your business!"

I laughed at him. "Look, Will. I sleep in the same room with you every night, I help you out in the workshop, and you are always there to help me when something goes wrong. Face it. You're like an older brother to me."

I stepped closer to him. "And if you're my older brother...that makes me the annoying little sister that butts into your business and knows everything that goes on in your life. So you can either tell me, or I can just read your journal later and find out what really is bothering you."

He sighed and set down the broom.

"I don't have a journal, okay? And whatever it is that's bothering me is none of your business."

"I thought it was about Elizab-"

"IT'S NOT ABOUT ELIZABETH!"

"Liar."

He threw a sword handle at me that I dodged; laughing as I did.

"You're acting like one of those love-sick school girls on Valentine's Day!"

He threw a mallet at me which missed my head about seven inches.

"And now you're in denial!"

"CASSANDRA! GET OUT!" He ordered me, which I ignored.

I almost fell down laughing. "I can't believe you're in love with a girl who-" I couldn't hold in my laughter long enough to finish my sentence; I held onto the edge of the work bench to keep myself steady.

When I had reached the end of my laughing spree; I looked up to see Will on the other side of the workshop turned around, not looking at me, and sitting on a bar stool. I suddenly wanted to smack myself; he probably was thinking of ways of how he could get me back, like not practicing sword fighting with me anymore.

"Look, Will. I'm sorry." I said, slowly walking over to him.

"Don't be." He said, sighing. "It doesn't matter, she wouldn't like me anyway."

"Oh, Will. You can't be so sure about-"

"I am sure, Cass. Why would she pick me over Norrington or anybody else that's on her rank?" He said, looking at me with his dark brown eyes. "And would anyone else on this bloody island think I would have a chance with her? They all expect me to marry YOU!"

What he said gave me the mental image of me walking down the isle with him waiting for me; the thought made me want to hurl.

"Will-"

"And don't think that people haven't asked you the same things they ask me! 'Mr. Turner, when are you and Miss Livingston going to finally tie the knot? You two seem very close.' "

Honestly, no one had ever asked me something like that.

"Um, sure. They always do..." I lied, hoping it wasn't obvious. No such luck; he cringed and looked at me.

"They never ask you?"

I bit my lip. "Maybe..."

"Damn."

We sat there in silence for a moment before I put a hand on his shoulder. "Will, I think maybe you need some time for your thoughts." I said, starting to leave. He reached and out grabbed my hand, pulling me back.

"I can't stay here alone right now."

"Well, come on, then." I said, pulling him up off the chair and tugging him toward the door. "Let's not wait for the grass to grow."

He smiled and was about to open the door with his other hand when I stopped him.

"What?"

I pointed to the hand that was still holding onto mine.

"If we go out like that, it'll just give people another reason why they think we're going to get married someday."


	6. Returning To The Workshop

Will and I had been walking in silence for awhile when he suddenly turned the corner and took off.

"I'll meet you back at the workshop." He yelled over his shoulder and was gone, leaving me alone.

I hated being alone.

I groaned and kicked a nearby rose bush, cringing in pain when I felt thorns cut up and down my leg. I cursed and hobbled to the nearest shop, which surprisingly was the tailor.

I walked in unnoticed (which was expected) since no one really cared about the apprentice tailor...and because it was my day off. Ms. Spencer was in the back room, sewing a dress for one of the locals; she looked up when I entered and looked annoyed at my presence.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, looking at me as if I was large talking piece of horse crap.

"I need some bandages."

She inspected my cut up leg for a moment with a disgusted look. "Why couldn't you go somewhere else?"

_Why couldn't you be any ruder?_

"This was the closet place, Ms. Spencer." I told her, holding up my dress so I wouldn't get any blood on it. "And it really hurts." I added when she still didn't look convinced.

After a moment of silence, she motioned to one of cabinets with her head; I jumped at it instantly, grabbing the nearest bandage and alcohol, pouring the alcohol onto my leg and wrapping the bandage around it.

After the stinging from the alcohol went away, I sighed in relief. "I feel better." I sighed out.

"You can leave then." Ms. Spencer said rudely; pointing at the door. "You can let yourself out."

_Bitch!_

I quickly hobbled out the door, resisting the urge to flip her off as I walked out.

I stopped short when I noticed the workshop door busted open and off it's hinges. The first thing that traveled through my mind was if Will was alright; I ran to the door, noticing a sword was stuck into it.

I looked inside the workshop to find Norrington and his men in a circle around the figure of man on the floor with Will and Mr. Brown looking down at the man with confusion.

"Excellent work, Mr. Brown. You've assists in the capture of a dangerous fugitive." Norrington told Mr. Brown who was holding up the shattered remains of a rum bottle.

What Norrington had just said didn't sound right to me; I looked over to Will to see him looking at the floor, his hands clenched into fist with red ash covering his face and hair. Something told me that he also had something to do with the capture but wasn't getting any credit for it.

"Just doing my civic duty, sir." Mr. Brown replied to Norrington's comment.

The anger I had been holding inside me for years suddenly boiled over; I scoffed and ran over to the group, causing them to look at me with surprise.

"Civic duty? Is that what you call drinking rum all day and taking credit for all the work Will has done?"

No one said anything, but kept their mouth shut. In the back of my mind I was wondering if they were thinking if I was PMSing, but I shruged off the thought and continued my rant.

Pointed my finger in Mr. Brown face. "You sir, are-"

I cut off when I felt a hand on my shoulder; I turned to find Norrington looking at me with great displeasure.

"Miss Livingston, I would highly appreciate if you would leave this conversation to the men."

"TO THE MEN?" I started to scream but was stopped when a hand covered my mouth which made red ash float into my mouth.

"Sorry, sir. She's just a little loopy, today. I'll get her off your hands." I heard Will's voice say from behind me as his breath tickled the back of my neck. He started to drag me toward the back door of the workshop and lead me outside to a back alley where you couldn't find unless you looked hard enough.

Once outside, he released me and I staggered backward, coughing ash out of my mouth. After a moment, I stood up straight and looked at Will who glared back at me.

"What. Was. THAT?" He asked me, flinging his arms around. "You could've lost me my JOB!"

"You could've always gotten a new one!"

"Don't try and chane the subject to finding new jobs, Cassandra. Tell me what in the hell you were thinking back there!"

I put my hands on my hips. "I was thinking that maybe we need to start sticking up for ourselves!"

"Cass-"

"And don't you even dare 'Cassandra' ME! I am tired of dealing with the fucking shit everyone gives us! And if don't start sticking up for myself, I'll might end up being a prostitute in Tortuga!" I yelled at him. "AND DO I LOOK LIKE I WANT THAT TO FUCKING HAPPEN?"

Will was silent. "No." He said after a moment, sounding depressed. My anger suddenly disappeared and I took a step towards him.

"Will...why didn't you say anything back there?"

"I didn't want them to think I was as crazy as you."

I gave him a hard look at the unfunny joke, making him sigh.

"They wouldn't have believed me, anyway."


	7. Fireing On Port Royal

The crisp cool night air floated through the open window as Will hammered away at the makings of a new sword.

Ever since this afternoon Will hadn't hardly said anything to me, or in fact, anyone. He just stayed quiet and did what he was asked without a word; which made me want to sort of punch his face in. He was being such an arse!

"You know, you can have hair growing out of your ears and I wouldn't run away screaming when you would try and talk to me." I suddenly said, making him glance up at me for a split second.

"Shut up." Was all he said. I jumped in the air, pointed at him, and started screaming.

"OH MY GOODNESS! THE MUTE MAN ACTUALLY TALKED!"

He rolled his eyes and continued to hammer away at the sword. I stopped acting like an idiot and picked up an mallet and grabbed another sword and started helping.

"Still, Will. I would like it if you could at least say something now or then..."

"Fine." He said, stopping for a moment. "Can you pass me the peanut butter?" He asked as though we were at the dinner table.

I cracked a smile. "No, Will. Remember? You're allergic to peanut butter."

He thought for a moment before returning to work. "Oh...right."

I laughed. "Will, I'm serious. Can you at least cheer up a little? You're-"

"Shh!" He suddenly said, holding up a hand while staring at the window.

"What is-"

"SHH!" He ordered me again, walking to the window and sticking his head out. "Do you hear that?" He said after a moment.

I started to shake my head no when I heard it: the sound of an explosion of some sort, distantly, as though coming from the bay.

It took a moment for it to dawn on me; we where near a Port, which means...pirates.

"Cannon fire!" I screamed, pulling Will away from the window just in time for a cannon to hit the shop across the way.

Will and I shared a glance; whatever was happening, must not be well.

Screaming come from outside from everywhere.

"Will, we have to do something!" I said. He ran to the cabinet, grabbing two axes and two swords and thrust one of each at me.

"I trust you know what to do?"

"No, I have no idea." I said sarcastically, grabbing the items and running to the door with Will at my heels.

I pulled the door open and looked around. Chaos was EVERYWHERE! There were men, women, and children running and screaming with pirates at their heels.

My gaze fell upon that of a little boy crying for his mother with the sound breaking wood above him. I looked up to see the building about to fall down on top of him. Droping my weapons to the ground, I raced toward the boy to try and save him, not thinking about the consequences if I was too late. I guess it was just my womanly instincts to help someone so small and helpless.

Thankfully, I was there just in time to sweep the little boy into my arms and run far enough away from the toppling building as I could before it fell to the ground. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked down to see the little boy clinging to me with such a grip that I knew would be tough to break.

"Sweetie, what's your name?" I asked, hoping he was old enough to talk.

"Johnny." He squeaked out, not letting go of me.

"OK, Johnny. I need you too..." I looked around for a place to hide him; I spotted a back alley that hadn't been touched and ran towards it.

"Johnny, I need to stay here. Don't make any noises and try not to let anyone see you." I told him, prying him off me and setting him to the ground.

He looked at me for a moment, confused before I re-phrased what I had said. "Johnny, we're going to play hide and seek."

He little face brightened up and he started to jump and down excitedly.

"You're going to hide..." I said, opening the side door the building we were next too. "to hide in here and wait until someone finds you. OK?"

He nodded and raced into the building, shutting the door behind himself.

"Let's just hope that someone is a GOOD someone..." I said, walking out of the alley and back into the chaos that was now surrounded me.

I spotted Will in the distance, fighting some pirate that he drove a sword into; I raced down the road to my friend, only encountering a few pirates along the way.

"Cassandra!" I heard Will scream when some pirate had me cornered; he threw me a sword which I also drove into the man, and ran to Will.

"What do we do?" I asked, but he wasn't paying attention. I looked to where he was and saw Elizabeth Swann being taken away by a group of pirates.

"Elizabeth!" Will screamed from beside me, about to run after her when another pirate stepped in front of us and waved at him.

Will's jaw dropped. "I thought-" He started but stopped when the pirate threw a small bomb at our feet.

I held back a scream as I waited for the bomb the explode, but I was reliefed when it turned out to be a dud.

Will and I looked at the bomb then at each other before taking a step toward the pirate who was looking frightful of us now.

But before we could do anything, somebody slammed a pan into the back of my head, making everything go dark and I crumpled to the ground.


	8. Breaking Sparrow Outta Jail

"Cassandra?"

"Come on, Carla. Five more minutes and _then_ we'll go hiking."

"Cass. Wake up!"

I opened my eyes to find Will above me, his eyes burning with rage and annoyance; he had a hatchet in his hand and I instantly jumped up and backed up serveral feet.

"I'm up as along as you don't try and kill me!" I said, making him roll his eyes. Without a word, he turned and made his way along the road.

I hesitated it going after him; the only time I had ever seen him this angry was when I had accidentally thrown one of his best shoes in the fireplace at the blacksmith workshop, and I knew how he would explode when something finally sent his anger over the edge and I didn't want that thing to be me.

After a moment I finally decided to go after him, but kept my mouth so I wouldn't say anything to piss him off.

I found him pushing past dozens of people who were cleaning up after the havoc of last night, some were picking up the remains of their home or shop, while others carried away dead or wounded while he made is way to the fort owned by Governor Swann.

_Crap!_

I raced up the path, but dodged the the people cleaning up instead of pushing them out of the way. When I caught up with him, he was talking with Norrington, his men, and the Governor. No one noticed when I appeared beside him, grabbing a hold of his arm and trying to pull him back down the steps.

"They've taken her. They've taken Elizabeth." Will said to everyone in the area.

Norrington didn't even look up from the charts he was looking at when he spoke to one of the soldiers. "Mr. Murtogg, remove this man."

The soldier went to grab to Will but I stepped towards him and glared. "Don't you dare." I told him, making him stop and not come any further.

I could feel Will's eyes on me for a split second before he once again addressed Norrington. "We have to hunt them down. We must save her."

Governor Swann scoffed from the corner and turned to face him. "And where do you propose we start?" He asked, standing beside Norrington who still hadn't looked up from the charts. "If you have any information concerning my daughter, please share it."

He turned back around to stare out into the sky. Will took a deep breath then let his eyes follow Norrington's down the charts.

"That Jack Sparrow." Came a voice from the corner behind me; I turned to find the soldier that Norrington had ordered to escort Will away, Murtogg, looking around at us. "He talked about the _Black Pearl_."

"Mentioned it, is more what he did." Said his partner from the other corner. After a moment when no one said anything as if they hadn't heard them, Will spoke up.

"Ask him where it is. Make a deal with him. He could lead us to it."

"No." Norrington sighed out, finally speaking. "The pirates who invaded this Fort left Sparrow locked in his cell ergo they are not his allies." He stood up and turned around to speak to the Governor. "Governor, we will establish their most likely course and-"

Murtogg once again tried dragging Will off and Will shoved him then buried the hatchet he was holding into the charts that Norrington had been looking at; I backed up a bit, knowing his anger had finally boiled over and that I should keep away.

"That's not good enough!" He yelled. Norrington once again, didn't make eye contact but studied the hatchet buried into the table.

"Mr. Turner, you are not a military man, you are not a sailor." Norrington began, taking the hatchet out of the table. "You are a blacksmith and this is **_not _**the moment for rash actions. Do not make the mistake of thinking you are the only man here who cares for Elizabeth." He thrust the hatchet back into Will's arms angrily and started to walk back to the Governor when I spoke up.

"Just because he is a blacksmith doesn't mean that he can't help!"

Norrington stopped in mid-step and turned to me, his eyes flashing with rage.

"Miss Livingston, you are a tailor." He said, stating the obvious. "That makes you no better than him."

I was too stunned to speak, I couldn't even find it in myself to beat him senseless so I just stood there, glaring at him like I was some school girl that had just had her dolly taken away from some snot nosed little bratty boy that she hated to no end.

"Come on, Cassandra." Will's said from behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Let's leave the _real_ men to their work."

"Do you have any idea how crazy this is?"

Will and I were now running down the road to the jail, where Will had suggested we talk to no other than Jack Sparrow.

"Yes, and we're doing it anyway."

"Why is that whenever something happens, and you're apart of it...I am too?"

No answer; he just pushed the door open and rushed in with me at his heels.

The first thing I noticed when I reached the bottom of the step was huge hole that was in the cell on the other side of Sparrow's, then I noticed the bone that he had been trying to pick himself out with sticking out of the keyhole.

"You. Sparrow!" Will said, looking down at the man in the cell.

"Aye." Said the man, lifting his head to look at us.

He was pretty much what I expected a pirate to look like; dirty, smelled nasty with clothes to match. But there was something about him that made you know he was smarter than other pirates.

"Are you familiar..." Will started but cut off when Sparrow wasn't looking at him but instead had his eyes on me.

"Ah..so you have found a girl." He said, making me back up several good feet.

Will glanced at me and gave me a look at pretty much said 'don't ask' and returned to asking Sparrow what we had come here for.

"You are familiar with that ship? The _Black Pearl_?"

Sparrow laid his head back down. "I've heard of it."

"Where does it make berth?" Will asked, making Sparrow lift his head in surprise.

"Where does it make berth? Have you not heard the stories?" He asked; after a moment of looking at Will who didn't appear to know the stories so he laid his head back down.

"Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is."

Will nodded in understanding. "The ship's real enough. Therefore its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?"

"Why ask me?" Sparrow asked, studying his nails.

"Because! You're a pirate!"

"And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?"

Will grabbed the jail cell bars in anger. "Never."

Sparrow shrugged and laid back down, still studying his nails.

"They took Miss Swann." Will said after a moment, letting go of the bars of putting his arms down by his side in a defeated sort of way.

"OH!" Sparrow said, sitting all the way up this time and glancing at me. "So you're not the girl? I see..."

I glanced at Will who looked as though he wanted to bang his head against the cell bars.

"Well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue and so win the other fair lady's heart you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."

"We can get you out of here." I suddenly said, making his gaze turn to me.

"How's that? The key's run off."

"I helped build these cells. These are half pin-barrel hinges." Will said, studying the bars then placing a bench under them. "With the right leverage and the proper application of strength; the door will lift free."

Sparrow seemed impressed but hid it well. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Will Turner."

Sparrow nodded thoughtfully. "That will be short for William, I imagine." He started, leaning in closer to the bars. "Good, strong name. No doubt, named for your father, eh?"

"Yes..." Will said after studying him for a moment.

Sparrow then turned to me. "What about you? What's yours?"

"Cassandra Livingston."

His eyes unexpectedly went wide for a spilt second before returning to normal size. "Nice female name. Possibly named after a grandmother of some sort?"

Two correct guesses in a row; I glanced at Will who's eye were wide before I nodded. "Yes."

"Uh-huh." He clicked his teeth together for a moment before turning back to Will. "Well, Mr. Turner, I've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell I swear on pain of death I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass. Do we have an accord?" He asked, standing up and sticking his hand out of the cell to shake Will's hand.

Will stared at the hand for a moment, no doubt wondering if he should drench it water first before shaking it. "Agreed." He said, taking it.

"Agreed. Get me out." He ordered as Will pushed down on the bench that was placed benth the bars making them raise up and fall down to the ground which made Sparrow free from his cell.

"Hurry; someone will have heard that." Will said ad Sparrow stepped over the fallen bars.

"Not without me effects."


	9. Commandeering A Ship

I seriously was about to strangle one of the two men that were standing in front of me.

Apparently, the only way we were going to get our little group out of Port Royal was by stealing a ship and head out to open sea...but Sparrow hadn't bothered to mention what ship we would be stealing.

So we all were now crouched down below a bridge beside the dock, stareing at the ship in front of us which was already being loaded by Norrington's men.

"We're going to steal the ship?" Will suddenly asked, staring at the _Interceptor_ in horror.

I, who had been following Sparrow's line of sight, grabbed Will's chin and faced him in the right direction.

"That ship?" He asked, now staring at the _Dauntless._

Sparrow suddenly turned around. "Commandeer. We're going to commandeer-" He pointed at the Interceptor. "that ship. Nautical term."

Will started to open his mouth in protest but was cut off when Sparrow started talking again. "One question about your business, boy, or there's no use going. This girl, how far are you willing to go to save her?"

"I'd die for her." Was Will's reply.

"Oh, good." Sparrow began. "No worries, then."

He then turned to me. "What about you?"

I sighed. "I'm only here to make sure that he-" I pointed at Will. "doesn't do something stupid."

"Ah, well." Sparrow said, turning back around. "Looks like you've already failed."

"What?"

"Nothing."

I rolled my eyes and stepped in front of Sparrow. "Before you start telling me what I've failed and I haven't; I think you better tell us how you propose we 'commandeer' that ship?"

My question brought a smile to his face that I suddenly didn't trust.

"This is either madness...or brilliance."

"Hmm...Let's see. Walking under water while holding a small boat turned upside down over our heads so we're able to breath isn't crazy enough for you?" I said. "Yeah, I'm gonna go with madness."

We were in fact doing all those things, which I have to admit was pretty clever thinking on Sparrow's part, but we still didn't know how in the world this was going to help us steal a ship, or in Sparrow's terms: 'commandeer' one.

"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide." Sparrow said; I nodded in agreement while I heard the muffled sound of wood breaking in front of me and looked down to see a crab trap stuck on Will's foot.

"Smooth, Will." I remarked, holding in my laughter.

"Shut up."

"You've failed again, Cassandra." Sparrow added.

"You be quiet and lead!"

About ten minutes later we climbing up the back of the _Dauntless_ with water dripping off the bottom of our clothes and ready to take the ship which Sparrow announced as soon as Will had pulled out his sword and I had fallen off the railing right onto the ship's deck face-first.

"Everyone stay calm! We are taking over the ship." Sparrow said as he made his way down the stairs with his pistol in hand.

"Aye! Avast!" Will cried out, making me and probably Sparrow want to slap him while the crew of the ship laughed.

"This ship cannot be crewed by two men and some klutzy girl." Gillette stated. "You'll never make it out of the bay."

Sparrow laughed, pointed his pistol at Gillette's nose, and smiled. "Son, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." He cocked the pistol. "Savvy?"

"Here they come."

Will was right; the _Interceptor_ was heading right for us and we had no where to go but jail.

"What do we do, Sparrow?" I asked him; he turned to me and glared.

"Firstly; you stop calling me Sparrow and start calling me Captain, Captain, or Captain. And Secondly; we hide." He pointed to the front of the ship with his pistol. "Up there."

I stood there for a moment, debating whether or not I should punch him in the face but was sadly interrupted when Will grabbed a hold of my arm and started dragging me to where Sparrow indicated we should hide.

"Come on," He said. "Don't start a scene."

"Well, I'm very close too if he doesn't stop pissing me off."

Will rolled his eyes. "You have a very short temper."

"Well,-"

"Shh! They're coming aboard!" Sparrow said, cutting me off as he crouched down beside us while the sound of footsteps started coming from the deck.

I swear my heart was suddenly beating faster than it ever had been when I heard Norrington's voice on the other side of the ship giving orders to all the people on board.

"Search every cabin, every hold, down to the bilges!"

Sparrow suddenly grabbed my arm, pulled me up, and handed me a rope. "Swing. Now." He ordered before handing Will a rope and getting himself one too.

I took a deep breath and swung; holding in my oxygen as I watched the water below me flying by. Before I knew it, my feet hit the deck of the Interceptor along with Will's and Sparrow's.

Will looked as though he just committed a murder while Sparrow looked as though it was perfectly normal to just do something like that.

Sparrow made his way up to the wheel when Norrington's voice was suddenly screaming from the _Dauntless_.

"Sailors, back to the _Interceptor_! Now!"

Sparrow looked rather smug as he turned to face Norrington's general direction. "Thank you, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way. We'd have had a hard time of it by ourselves."


	10. The Truth Comes Out

Only a couple of hours had past since we had stolen the _Interceptor_ and made our way out of the Port Royal Bay.

Will was sharpening his sword on a barrel of gunpowder and telling a very uninterested Sparrow about his childhood.

"When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here..." He let his gaze trail to Sparrow who was securing more ropes. "...looking for my father."

"Is that so?" Sparrow asked, hardly paying attention.

Will stood up and started to follow Sparrow up the steps toward the wheel. "My father, Will Turner."

I was surprised that I was actually listening since I've heard his sob story time and time again; but something about his tone of voice made me listening and believe that he thought Sparrow knew something.

"At the jail, it was only after you learned our names that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter." Will started, making me bolt upright from the chair I was sitting on.

_Our names? What are you thinking, crazy man?_

"We're not simpleton, Jack. You knew my father." Will accused.

_Since when did we start calling him by his first name? I thought it was 'Captain' or 'Hey You'..._

'Jack' sighed, stood up, and faced my best friend. "I knew him; probably one the few who knew him as William Turner." He said as Will's eyes grew wide. "Everyone else just called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill."

Jack jumped down and made his way toward the wheel and threw a rope off of it.

"Bootstrap?" Will asked, confused from what he was hearing.

"Good man." Jack started to say. "Good pirate."

I knew I wasn't the only who was thinking _'WHAT?'. _I stood up and turned around to find Will's hands clenched into fist.

"I swear you look just like him." Jack said over his shoulder to Will.

"It's not true. He was a merchant sailor; a good, respectable man who obeyed the law."

Jack rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder at Will again. "He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag."

Will took out his sword and pointed it at Jack's back. "My father was _not_ a pirate."

"Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again." Jack said, rolling his eyes and not even turning around.

"You didn't beat me. You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd killed you."

A grin crossed Jack's face before he turned to face Will. "Then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair, then, is it?"

In one swift movement, Jack turned to wheel making one of the yards catch Will and swing him out over the sea so that he was holding on for dear life.

"Hey! You can't do that!" I screamed at him, making him turn to me an shoot me a glare.

"And perhaps you would like to know how I knew that you were named after your grandmother?" He asked me, but not pausing long enough for me to reply. "Your mother was one of the best women I knew and she married a damn fine good man who introduced me to your whole family, is that a good enough answer?"

We stared at each for a moment, not saying anything.

"What was her name?" I whispered quietly so only he could hear. He looked taken back for a second before rolling his eyes back to Will.

"And you! As long as you're just hanging there, pay attention!" He said, picking up the sword Will had dropped. "The only rules that really matter are these: what a man **_can_** do and what a man **_can'_**_t_ do." He made his way back to the wheel and smugly looked at my best friend who's face had gone red from either the nervousness of hanging off the side of the ship or the hatred he was feeling for Jack at this point.

"For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. Now, me, for example, I can let you drown," He said, placing on hand on the wheel. "but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesy with a crazy girl, savvy? So…"

In another swift movement he spung the wheel so Will was now brought back onto the deck on which he collapsed as soon as he was over it and Jack walked up to him and pointed the sword at his throat.

"Can you sail under the command of a pirate? Or can you not?" He flipped the sword so now he was holding onto the blade and was offering the sword to Will.

Will stared at it for a moment then moved his gaze to meet mine.

"She's not apart of this; it's just you and me, boy." Jack suddenly said, noticing where Will was looking.

Will looked up at Jack shifted uncomfortably. "Tortuga?"

"Tortuga."


	11. Tortuga

"So this...is Tortuga?"

This place was definitely somewhere I wouldn't want to raise my children. There were drunks everywhere, including prostitutes, not to mention the amount of pirates roaming around (which pretty much was every drunk person but there was one or two that was sober and just staring at their friends like they were morons).

"I take it that it isn't a vacation spot?" I said, eyeing the prostitutes down the road in disgust. Seriously, why would you want to show off your body like that...and put on some clothes! My gaze turned to Jack who looked displeased at my comment. "For civilized people, of course!"

He rolled his eyes and continued on down the street with Will and I following him as he talked about how great Tortuga was.

"More importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy?" Will looked down at a man who was drinking two pints of beer while sitting so that he was looking directly up a woman's dress. "What do you think?"

"It'll linger..." He answered with.

I popped in by Jack's shoulder. "He means that it's a place where he wouldn't dare step foot unless he had too."

Jack shrugged and he looked sideways at me. "Well...good thing he has-"

He stopped when a woman approached us; she was wearing a red dress and matched the violent red color her hair was.

"Scarlett!" Jack exclaimed before getting slapped by the woman so hard that his torso was turned to look at Will and I.

I held in my laughter as Scarlett walked away and Jack pondered what was going on.

"Not sure I deserved that..."

He turned around once more to find some other woman to standing in front of him. She looked younger than Scarlett and didn't have the violent red hair, either.

"Giselle!"

"Who was she?" She asked before looking at me. "And who are you?"

_Don't drag me into this!_

"Uh..." Jack started but was slapped once again to face Will and I as she walked away in a huff.

"Is it my turn now?" I asked him, making him glare at me.

Will leaned down close to Jack's face and smirked.

"You may have deserved that..."

"God, it smells!"

"Of course it does, luv. It's the pig's pen."

I rolled my eyes at Jack. "And tell me just why we are at the pig's pen? Browsing for ham?"

"No." Jack said as he threw the bucket of water he was holding onto a man laying on the pigs in the pig's pen. He instant was awake and pulled out of knife.

"Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot!" He started to scream before he finally looked at the man in front of him. "Mother's love! Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. It's bad luck!"

"Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it." Jack said, bending down to the man's eye level. "The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping, a drink. The man who was sleeping, drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking."

...That made no sense; and it was present on the man's face for a spilt second before thinking over and somehow understanding Jack's little speech. "Aye, that'll about do it." He said, standing up only to have another bucket of cold water thrown onto him by Will.

"Blast! Damn! I'm already awake!"

It was quiet for a spilt second while everyone looked at Will for an explanation.

"That was for the smell."

"How come we get to just stand here and look like fools while they get to sit down and have a drink?"

Jack and the man, Gibbs, had taken a seat at a table nearby and ordered drinks while Jack had told us to 'keep a sharp eye' which I knew was just another way of saying 'stand there and look pretty while I get this man terribly drunk so that he'll listen and agree to whatever I have to say'.

Will didn't answer my question so I sat down in a huff with my back leaning against a pole and listened to Jack and Gibbs conversation.

"Now, what's the nature of this venture of yourn?" Gibbs asked as Jack sat down and handed him his drink.

"I'm going after the _Black Pearl_." Gibbs nearly choked on his drink because I heard him spit into his cup. "I know where it's going to be, and I'm going to take it."

"Jack, it's a fool's errand. Why, you know better than me the tales of the _Black Pearl_."

"That's why I know what Barbossa is up to. All I need is a crew."

So that's why we needed to come here! We needed a crew before we sent Isla de whatever-it-is and save Elizabeth!

"From what I hear tell of Captain Barbossa , he's not a man to suffer fools, nor strike a bargain with one."

"Well, then I'd say it's a very good thing I'm not a fool then, eh?"

I scoffed along with Gibbs who voiced his opinion. "Prove me wrong. What makes ye think Barbossa will give up his ship to you?"

I could almost see Jack's smirk in my head. "Let's just say it's a matter of leverage, eh?"

_And just what is that leverage?_ I thought, waiting to hear what he had to offer; but after a moment of silence I almost turned around to see what they were doing but stopped when I heard Gibbs speak again.

"The kids?"

I heard Jack lean back in his chair and set his drink down. "That boy is the son of Bootstrap Bill Turner...his only son, savvy?"

Will? Why would he be talking about Will right after talking about leverage? I shifted my position so I could now see them out of the corner of my eyes while they couldn't see me looking at them.

"Is he now?" Gibbs asked, looking at Will as though he was a prized trophy; but then his gaze traveled down to me. "What about the girl?"

Jack looked even more smug now; he leaned toward Gibbs again and spoke very calmly. "Do you remember who Miss Alexandra Livingston married more than 20 years ago?"

Alexandra Livingston? Was that my mother? Gibbs appeared to know the answer to the question.

"Yeah, she married the love of her life, B-" He started to answer while looking at Will's direction which I found rather odd.

Jack cut him off and I nearly got up and smacked him but stayed put to see if they said anything else or if he would.

"And do you remember when her husband left her to join this kind life? A pirate life? One she didn't approve of?"

"Yeah about 19 years ago, but he said that he only had one kid, not two."

Jack smirked and grabbed his drink. "What if-" He swallowed some and set it back down. "-he left before she could tell him she was bearing another child?"

Gibbs glanced at where I was sitting, not noticing that both my eyes were on him. "That doesn't explain why she doesn't know anything..."

Jack looked like he was about to slap him. "It makes perfect sense! Her husband left her with hardly enough money for two people let alone three so the night she went into labor she hopped a ship, went to an island that had an orphanage and gave birth there! That night she left to go back to raise her son and pretend she never had a daughter that had her grandmother's name and her maiden name!"

Gibbs looked at him with disbelief. "I don't believe you."

Jack rolled his eyes and pointed at me. "You must remember what Alexandra's old locket looks like? The one her husband gave her the day they got married? It's the same one that the girl's wearing, now!"

Gibbs looked at me closer until he spotted the tiny gold locket glittering on my chest. For a second he stared at it, then at the table.

"Leverage, says you. I think I feel a change in the wind, says I." He looked up at Jack and smiled. "I'll find us a crew. There's bound to be some sailors on this rock crazy as you."

"One can only hope." Jack raised his glass for a toast. "Take what you can?"

"Give nothing back!" Gibbs said, clanking their pints together and drinking them.

But I hardly paid attention as they did this since my mind was way off, thinking about what they had said.

_So she didn't want me after all? I was nothing to her! Just a pain that she would only have to deal with for nine months before being able to get rid of me..._

My eyes traveled to Will was standing beside me looking down at me sorrowfully; I guess I wasn't the only one who had been eavesdropping.


	12. Meet The Crew

"Cass...would you like-"

"No." I snapped, walking briskly to the end of the dock where Jack was standing.

I had no pleasure in talking to Will at the moment when all he wanted to talk about was what we had overheard last night; I didn't want to talk about what Jack had said about me, not even what he said about this 'leverage' he spoke of; I just wanted to think things over for myself for the time being.

So I took my place by Jack's left shoulder with Gibbs while Will sighed and took his by Jack's right. Along the edge of the dock were men who had all signed up to help us the crew the ship to find the _Black Pearl._

"Feast your eyes, Captain. All of them, faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt." Gibbs said as we walked down the line of sailors, looking at them. "And crazy to boot." He added as we stopped in front a dwarfed sized man.

"So this is your able-bodied crew?" Will asked Jack, who showed no sign of answering. Jack just studied the men in front of us then randomly picked one out and started asking the poor old man questions.

"You, sailor!" He said, walking to the man who had a parrot on his shoulder.

"Cotton, sir." Gibbs told us, indicating that was the man's name.

I studied the man further while Jack and Will were busy looking at Gibbs while he spoke. There was something about him that made him seem familiar, but...I couldn't place my finger on it.

"Mr. Cotton," Jack started, facing him again. "do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?"

Cotton eyes went to from Jack to Gibbs who suddenly looked uncomfortable when Jack started to get angry. "He's a mute, sir. Poor devil had his tongue cut out."

Cotton opened his mouth at these words and showed us his tongue, which was indeed, cut out. I cringed and stepped back a few feet which caused Cotton's gaze to travel to me and our eyes locked for a spilt second.

I instantly recognized him.

"No..." I whispered out, taking a step towards him, but had a hand grab my arm.

"Cass, what's wrong?" Will asked, and I shook off his hand.

"Nothing, let go of me." I snapped; he looked hurt as he put his arms back down to his side. I sighed. "I'll tell you later." I whispered, making him bright up a bit.

We returned to real world to find Jack, Gibbs, and Cotton staring at us. I stared back unemotionally.

"You may continue."

Gibbs nodded and went back to his little speech. "Well, he had his tongue cut out, so he trained the parrot to talk for him." Our gaze travled to the bird on his shoulder who just stood there and didn't take any notice of us. "No one's yet figured how."

Jack bit his lip and looked at the ground for a moment. I can't image him ever being in a more awkward situation than this one.

"Mr. Cotton's...parrot." Jack suddenly said, looking up to find the bird looking at him. "Same question."

The parrot squawked. "Wind in your sails; wind in your sails."

No one said anything; Will and I shared a look then Gibbs spoke up. "We figure that means 'yes'."

Jack looked semi-impressed. "Of course it does." He said before turning to Will and I. "Satisfied?"

Will looked down the row of men. "Well, you've proved they're mad."

"And what's the benefit for us?" A voice suddenly called out from the down the line.

It had came from a sailor that had his hat covering up their face. Jack raised an eyebrow and walked toward him and sighed when he reached him; he slowly raised his hand to the hat and took it off letting pitch black hair fall from the woman's head.

"Anamaria." Jack said right before getting slapped by the lady who had been pretending to be a man. I laughed and Jack shot a glare at me.

Will looked amused. "I guess you didn't deserve that one, either?"

"No." Jack said. "That one I deserved." He stood back up to face the woman who was glaring at him.

"You stole my boat!" She accused and Jack looked uncomfortable.

"Actually-" She slapped him again making me going into another fit of hysterical laughing. Jack shot me another glare and looked back at Anamaria. "...borrowed. Borrowed without permission. But with every intention of bringing it back to you!"

"But you didn't!"

"You'll get another one!" Jack offered and she raised her forefinger.

"I will." She threatened and Jack cringed a little bit.

"A better one." Will suddenly said and Jack nodded.

"A better one." He agreed.

Will pointed to the _Interceptor_. "That one."

"What one?" Jack asked, looking to where Will was pointing. "That one?" He turned to Will and clinched his fist as though ready to throw a punch at him but then remembered Anamaria was watching so he turned back to her. "Aye, that one."

"And if you don't, you may break Jack's kneecaps with a oar." I said and glared some more as Anamaria smirked.

Jack took a deep breath and turned back to her. "What say you?"

"AYE!" She and everyone else cried out except for the parrot who yelled: "Anchor's away!"

They started to make their way to ship and Gibbs made toward us quickly. "No, no, no, no, no, it's frightful bad luck to bring one woman aboard, sir. Let alone two."

"It'd be worse not have her." Jack replied and he and Gibbs went to the ship. I started to follow but Will grabbed my arm.

"Can you tell me now what happened back there with Cotton and you?" He looked frantic and I bit my lip.

"Do you remember..." I started, looking up at him. "Who I said brought me to Port Royal when I escaped from the orphanage?"

He nodded but didn't seem to make the connection.

"Do you remember me telling you what the punishment was for being caught was?"

His eyes widened.

"The ability to no longer speak..."


	13. Jack's Past Revealed

"This. Is. MADNESS!"

No one disagreed with me, or at least, I think no one did. It was hard to tell with the wind and the rain gusting all around us making it difficult to see or hear anyone farther than a few inches in front of you. Will placed his hand on my shoulder.

"It'll be over soon." He yelled through the rain.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever." I mumbled, ending the conversation though I wanted to keep it going, but it was raining to hard to be talking unless you wanted to drown standing up.

"Brace up the fore yards!" Jack suddenly demanded from the wheel and everyone set out to start to work.

Gibbs raced up to Will and I when a wave hit the side of the ship and set us flying backwards, even more soaked than we already were. I cursed under my breath and stood back up a little light headed.

Will glanced at Jack then to Gibbs. "How can we sail to an island that no one can find-" He spat out some water while pulling on one of the ropes. "with a compass that doesn't work?"

"Aye, the compass doesn't point north." Gibbs agreed with Will as another wave hit the ship but we were able to hang on. "But we're not trying to find north, are we?"

I stopped what I was doing for a split second to ponder what he had just said. "Not trying to find north?" I asked out loud. "Are you saying the compass doesn't work...yet in some weird, out of this world, magical way...it does?"

"Aye." Gibbs said brightly.

He then left to go talk to the captain. I turned to Will who had a similar look on his face as me. "Did you understand any of that?"

I shook my head. "Not one bit."

Will turned and looked up where Jack was and Gibbs was sitting on the stairs after another wave had knocked them over. Jack had the smallest hint of a smirk upon his face.

"What do you think has put him in such a good mood?"

I rolled my eyes at his question; I would've thought it was obvious. "Either he's picturing a naked woman in his mind-" Will gave me a hard look. "or...we're catching up."

My guess was correct. The next morning, at dawn, we reached the island of Isla de Muerta which, to me, didn't look all that dreaded as everyone had made it to be.

"Well...this place doesn't look that bad."

Will tapped my shoulder. "What?" I asked and he pointed to the opposite direction I was looking at. Me eyes followed to where he was pointing at and I suddenly felt foolish from what I had said before.

"I take that back."

Where we all were looking my several ships that were abandoned and rather rotten, moldy...the sight would make you want to hurl...not to mention the many skeletons of sailors that had passed away around it. One had a sword sticking out of it's skull.

"Dead men tell no tales." Cotton's parrot suddenly said from the front of the ship and I had to agree; we were now sailing through a passage that had many sunken ship and sharks below us.

Gibbs shuddered. "Puts a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage." he started to walk away but Will stopped him with a question.

"How is it that Jack came by that compass?"

Gibbs didn't meet Will eyes as he tightened a rope. "Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow before he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta." He finished tightening the rope and stood up to have a drink from his canteen. "That was before I met him, back when he was Captain of the Black Pearl."

Will and I both spun around. "What?" Gibbs eyes went wide, like he said something he shouldn't have. "He failed to mention that."

"Well, he plays things closer to the vest now. And a hard-learned lesson it was."

"How so?" I asked and he smiled and started to explain.

"See, three days out on the venture the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure, too, so Jack gives up the bearings. That night there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die but not before he'd gone mad with the heat."

Will nodded. "Ah. So that's the reason for all the-" He made movements like Jack would and Gibbs looked at him sternly.

"Reason's got nothing to do with it. Now Will and Cassandra, when a man is marooned he is a given a pistol with a single shot. **One shot**. Well it won't do much good hunting or to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starving belly and thirst, that pistol start's to look **_real_ **friendly." He started, shaping his hand like a pistol and pointing to his head. "But Jack he escaped the island, and he still has that one shot. Oh, but he won't use it, though, save for one man: His mutinous first mate."

"Barbossa." Will said, more a statement than a question.

"Aye."

He looked a floor for a spilt second then asked another question. "How did Jack get off the island?"

"Well, I'll tell ye. He waded out into the shallows and there he waited three days and three nights till all manner of sea creature came and acclimated to his presence. And on the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed them together and made a raft."

Will had his eyebrows raised like me and I'm sure he was thinking the same thing. "He roped a couple of sea turtles?" He asked for confirmation and Gibbs nodded.

"What did he use for rope?" I suddenly asked; Gibbs opened his mouth to speak but stopped which made me realize that he didn't know that answer, but he suddenly looked up at the man who had just walked up to us.

"Human hair." Jack said. "From my back."

"How'd you get the hair off?"

He didn't answer my question but turned to crew. "Let go of the anchor!"

"Let go of the anchor, sir!" Someone replied and he smiled.

"Young Mr. Turner, Miss Livingston, and I are to go ashore." He told Gibbs who suddenly looked frightful.

"Captain! What if the worst should happen?"

Jack looked thoughtful for a moment. "Keep to the code."

"Aye..the code."


	14. Leverage

It was silent as we rode to shore, mostly because Will and I were staring at the artifact around and below us. To my left was a skeleton with a sword sticking out of it's spine; I cringed and shared a 'I really don't want to be here' look with Will who only shrugged.

Ever since we had gotten off that blasted ship he had not said a word. I wanted to think it was because he was tired, but I knew it was because he wanted to get to Elizabeth as fast as we possibly could. I sighed and turned around; there was no point in talking to him if he was probably just going to give me a one word answer or a shrug.

"What Code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?" Will suddenly asked; making me jump unexpectedly.

"Pirate's Code." He replied, still rowing the boat along. "Any man that falls behind...is left behind."

Will and I shared a look. We both were thinking the same thing.

"No heroes amongst thieves, eh?" I told Will, more as a statement than question. He nodded in agreement and Jack smirked.

"You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates you two are well on your way to becoming one." He said smuggly.

I turned around to face this delusional idiot. "We have obeyed the law all of our lives-"

He scoffed. "Have you?"

"Yes." I snapped at him, and his smirk became wider.

"So running away from an orphanage is obeying the law?"

HOW THE _HELL_ DID HE _POSSIBLY_ KNOW THAT?

I felt my face become very warm. I knew I was blushing. I hardly ever blush unless I'm extremely angry. I threw him a glare before turning around in a huff and crossing my arms across my chest.

I'm gonna kill him.

Will raised an eyebrow at me before turning his gaze to the Jack-ass behind me. "What makes you think we're going to become pirates?"

I felt Jack's eyes on me for a moment before he spoke. "Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga."

...I have to say that he had a point...I hated that. I clinched my fist together and exhaled a deep breath. "That doesn't mean that we'll turning into rum-soaked pirates."

Out of the corner of my eye, something glittered in the water below us. Out of curiosity, I leaned over the side to see many gold pieces glittering in the water. I felt my jaw drop along with Will; that was more money and gold than I had ever seen in my entire life.

"And you, sir, are completely obsessed with treasure."

We both turned to glare at him when the boat suddenly hit land. We jumped out and pulled it ashore so it wouldn't float away when Will confronted Jack.

"That's not true. I am not obsessed with treasure."

I almost scoffed. Yeah right! He spent an hour one day complaining how we never had any money, which wasn't completely true because I had about two hundred shillings stashed away under my bed that I was saving up in case something happened.

Maybe I can pay my way out of jail when we finally get out of this...

I snapped back into reality and saw Jack looking over some rocks; distantly, I heard a muffled voice.

"Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate." He motioned us over. I hesitated along with Will; deep down I suddenly didn't trust him.

Will made the first move; he slowly made his way over to Jack and looked out across the rocks. What he saw made is jaw drop.

"What is it?"

No answer; I rolled my eyes and went to go see what the big deal was, and it was a big deal.

Elizabeth.

But she wasn't alone; she was being held captive by some pirate in a big blue hat; I could only guess this was Barbossa by the way Jack was glaring at him.

He was talking to a large group of pirates in front him while standing upon a big pile of gold with a huge chest on it.

"Gentlemen, the time has come! Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near at end!"

"Elizabeth..." Will whispered out beside me; I knew it was killing him just to sit here and do nothing.

I took a closer look at Elizabeth; she looked a little different than the last time I saw her and it had nothing to do with the fact that she looked like she was praying to heaven almighty to keep her alive.

"Where'd she get that dress?" I suddenly asked aloud. Will and Jack looked at me funny and I felt very stupid. "Never mind..."

Barbossa was continuing. "For ten years we've been tested and tried, and each man jack of you here has proved his mettle a hundred times over and a hundred times again!" The pirates all cheered.

"Suffered, I have!" One called out from the front of group.

"Punished, we were. The lot of us! Disproportionate to our crimes! Here it is-" He threw off the lid of the chest next to him and ran his fingers over the gold that lay inside. I shared a quick glance with Will; we both knew what it was before Barbossa even said it. "the cursed treasure of Cort's himself." He picked up a handful of coins and threw them back in. "Every last piece that went astray, we have returned... save for this!" He pointed at Elizabeth's neck where a medallion rested.

"Jack!" Will started to climb out of the little shelter of rocks we were in but Jack stopped him just in time.

"Not yet!" He grabbed Will and I by the scruff of the neck and pulled us down. "We wait for the opportune moment."

Will looked angry and I knew what was coming. I back up a few inches and tried to listen to what Barbossa was saying.

"-we found but despaired of ever finding the last."

Will interrupted my eavesdropping by nudging me in the gut with his elbow when he went after Jack. I rubbed the spot where he hit me and ran after him.

"When's that? When it's of greatest profit to you?"

Oh boy. This was going to get ugly...

Jack clenched his fist together and walked back over to Will with a strained smile on his face. "May I ask you something?" He didn't wait for an answer but kept going. "Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?"

Good point. He had done everything we had agreed to so far...but...why was I suddenly not trusting him?

"Do us a favor. I know it's difficult for you, but please stay here and try not to do anything _stupid_."

Ouch. Will's face was calm as Jack walked away but I could by just looking at his eyes that he was outraged. No one (other than me) had ever spoken to him like that, and usually I was joking with him when I did.

His fist clenched together and he quickly made toward the boat.

"What are you doing?" I asked him frantically as I heard Barbossa voice get louder and somewhat more cheerful.

Will reached down and picked up one of the oars. "I'm not dealing with this."

"Will!" I started but it was too late; He rushed out of sight in the direction that Jack had went. I quickly ran after him.

I reached him just about the time he reached Jack. "Will! Don't do-"

I was once again, too late. Jack I turned around at my words and was immediately slapped in the face with the oar Will was holding.

"I'm sorry, Jack, but we're not going to be your leverage."

We both watched as Jack sank to the ground, unconscious. It took me a moment to finally comprehend what was going on; and I was pissed.

"What. Were. You. THINKING?" I slapped Will across the face, the first time I had ever hit him. "He was only trying to help! And whatever he was going to do was probably a damn lot better than what you're planning to do!"

"Cass, he was going to use us as-" He started but I slapped him again.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO!" I shoutedly whispered to him. "AS LONG AS HE DID WHAT WE ASKED HIM TO IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

"But, Cass-"

I didn't want to hear it. I slapped him once more and stomped off, not caring him he come after me or not.


	15. Parley

I waited by the boat for awhile, starting to regret what I had done and hoping that Will would come and let me apologize to him, even though he never did.

"Great, Cassandra, you pissed off your friend." I said to myself and kicked a nearby rock.

With nothing to do but either go after Will or wait for him, I slumped to the ground with my back against the rocks and sighed; even with the angry shouts of the pirates distantly down the cave, it was far too quiet, and for some reason, my mind wondered...

_I glared up into Ms. Carter's ice blue cold eyes, not showing any signs of weakness; her eyes traveled down my body, lingering for a few split seconds on the tattered ruins of my clothes, my purple and blotchy bruises, and the deep cuts on my arms and legs that covered most of my body. I felt a few bruises on the back of my legs that hadn't yet appeared, but they would tonight. Blood ran down my face and into my eyes which I blinked away, and I breathed through my nose even though it hurt because it was most likely broken._

_Her eyes met mine again, they flickered with rage and delivered another powerful blow to my torso, making me cough up blood. But somehow, I didn't fall to the ground upon my knees and beg for mercy, I just took it and looked back up at her with eyes clearly saying 'is that all you got?'._

_"How dare you!" She hollered, kicking me in the head and finally sending me to the floor where she kicked me in the face; I finally felt my nose break. "No one wants you here anymore! You were supposed to let them HAVE you! NOT BRING YOU BACK!"_

_I hadn't done anything wrong or... had I?_

_A couple of weeks before, a couple had come around to the orphanage. All they wanted was a daughter, and I immediately had caught their eye. Within a few hours, they took me home, telling me it would now be mine as well...or so they said it would._

_A week later they returned me to the orphanage after finding out that the wife was now pregnant. And w__ith my return, Ms. Carter was sent into a rage. Every night she beat me, and she blamed my attitude for them not wanting me anymore._

_Tears were now streaming down my face. "I'm sorry." I croaked out, spitting out blood and sending it all over the floor._

_I could almost hear her roll her eyes; she kicked me once more, sending more pain into torso._

_"You're a worthless little bitch." She spat at me, turning and leaving the room and slamming the door behind her._

_I laid there, for the next few hours, crying. No one came in to help me, I wondered whether or not they knew I was in there, but it would be hard not too. When a kid was beaten you could hear almost every scream he or she made, including Ms. Carter's howls of rage._

_No one, not any one, was going to come help me. I was alone._

I didn't even notice that I had been crying. I wiped my eyes, even though it was no use, tears continued to silently roll down my face. I was six when that happened. It had been my birthday, as well. Some birthday, right?

I don't know why I had suddenly remembered that. Maybe it was because for those few hours, lying on the floor, alone and helpless, were the hours of which my minor monophobia***** had come alive.

And here it was, all over again. No one was here, Will was probably to pissed at me now to even care or remember that I hated being alone, Jack was...well...I don't really know where Jack was. I had just left him there, lying on ground, unconscious with no one there to help him while his ex-first mate and crew we're just around the corner with a probably terrified Elizabeth.

I looked around; the cave walls seemed to be mocking my aloneness.

"Cassandra?"

I knew that voice. My head spung around, to met someone that I was surprised to see up and around.

"Jack?" I asked, suddenly wishing I hadn't, my voice sounded cracked from crying.

Jack stumbled up to me, using the oar Will had hit him with as a walking stick. "Aye." He looked over me. "Have you been crying, luv?"

I almost cringed. "No!"

"Uh huh." He looked at me closer; I noticed the red imprint of the oar across his face. "Your eyes are bloodshot."

"So are yours."

He glared at me; he was quiet for a moment before shaking his head. "We should probably find the whelp-"

"Will." I corrected him, but he didn't listen and continued.

"-and then kill him."

I had half a mind to agree with the mad man in front of me, but some small voice in the back of my mind told me not too. I opened my mouth to argue with him when cries were echoed around the part of the cave we were in.

"The oars have gone missing. Find them!"

My eyes went wide and Jack cringed; he grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward an exit. "Hurry, they're coming!"

But they had already come. As soon as we rounded the corner, we ran into pirates who pointed their pistols at us. Most of them with dumbstruck looks on their faces as their eyes looked over Jack.

"You?" The one with blond matty hair closest to us asked.

"You're supposed to be dead!" The pirate next to him chimed in, pointing at him with his other hand clenched into a fist down by his side.

Jack looked around like he hadn't known that information then turned to me, suddenly. "Are we not? Hmm..." He grabbed my hand and started to walk the other direction but we were once again stopped by more pirates.

_Oh boy_

Jack bit his lip as we turned back around to met the other set of pirates; the one next to the blond pointed his pistol directly at Jack's head. "Palulay?" He suddenly said, cringing. I slowly turned my head to look at him as he listed of a number of other things starting with P. "Palu-li-la-la-lulu, parlili? Parsnip, parsley, par - partner, partner?"

"Parley?" The blond pirate offered and Jack snapped his fingers.

"Parley! That's the one! Parley! Parley!" He called out and all the pirates around looked disappointed.

"Parley?" The other pirate asked the blond one who looked ashamed of himself.

"What's parley?" I quietly asked Jack.

"You'll see."

"Damn to the depths whatever man that thought up 'parley'!" The other pirate cried out, cocking his pistol at Jack who moved it out of the way.

"That would be the French."

* * *

**monophobia*- fear of being alone**


	16. Captain Barbossa

I finally understood what parley meant after a large, heavily built, black pirate grabbed me by the waist and hoisted me over his shoulder, grumbling about taking me and Jack to see the captain. This slightly annoyed me since I wasn't the one wanting to see the captain, Jack was.

"Don't you think that maybe having your captain talk to the both of us is a little unnecessary?" I whispered to the guy holding me. His grip tightened for a spilt second making me gasp for air, and he glared up at me.

_I'm taking that as a no..._

I smiled innocently at him until he turned his head back around to watch where he was going. In front of us, Jack was being lead with pistols in his back from the blond pirate and his partner. From the hateful looks Jack was receiving from everyone, it was hard to believe that they had once been his crew that probably would have happily done anything that he asked him to without question. It made me wonder why he really got mutinied against in the first place.

With my mind wondering, I didn't notice we had stopped, and by the time I did, the pirate holding me dropped me onto the ground, letting me land on my face.

_Bastard_

I stood up, wiped off the dirt, and faced Jack who was staring at me with a smirk on his face.

"Nice landing." He whispered to me, trying hard not to laugh.

"It's not my fault! He just dropped me!" I whispered back, but whatever I told him didn't matter, he still was laughing. "No consideration at all!" I added, suddenly having the feeling that someone was watching me. I slowly turned to find the pirate standing right behind me, glaring at me.

My eyes went wide. "Hebe..." He didn't move, but just stayed there, towering over me. I bit my lip, thinking of something off the top of my head. "Did I also mention that you're so very handsome?"

His hands clenched into fists, but he rolled his eyes and walked away. I sighed in relief, turning back around to face Jack.

"I wouldn't mess with him." Jack said, eyes flickering toward where the pirate had been standing. "Nasty temper."

"I think I could've figured that out for myself, thanks." I replied, but he didn't pay attention for another pirate had entered the cave, making everyone go silent. He crossed the cave toward Jack, the group of pirates letting him through quickly.

When I realized who it was, I was somewhat in shock. Captain Barbossa's looks surprised me; I didn't have to be a tailor to tell that his clothes, which were elegant for a man like himself, was not what a normal pirate would wear.

A big, round, dark blue hat that was decorated with plumes, covered up most of his long auburn grey hair that hung loosely around his shoulders, and straggly beard ran down to the base of his neck. His dress attire consisted of dark brown, full breeches, a brown waistcoat that was elaborately ornamented by a pattern and a grey coat with black cuffs. If it weren't for the scars around his yellow eyes that unnerved you, and the look of disgust on his face, he could have looked almost friendly.

"How the blazes did you get off that island?" He asked Jack, his voice sending chills down my spine. Jack leaned against the oar that he still had with him, and smiled at Barbossa.

"When you marooned me on that godforsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate." He told him. Barbossa's eyes went narrow, as Jack finished. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Ah, well, I won't be making that mistake again." Barbossa replied, and turned to face his crew. "Gents, you all remember Captain Jack Sparrow?" This caused chuckling to go through the crowd; many of the pirates cocked their pistols as Barbossa turned to face us again. "Kill him. And his lady friend, as well."

He turned to leave as all the pirates raised their pistols to our heads.

_My life sucks..._

Just when I thought I saw my life flash before my eyes, Jack spoke up.

"The girl's blood didn't work, did it?" He said, making Barbossa stop short; even though I couldn't see his face, I could tell he was thinking something over.

"Hold your fire!" He ordered his crew, who looked disappointed. Barbossa turned look at us with a slight smirk on his face. "You know whose blood we need?" He asked Jack who also started to smirk.

"I know whose blood ye need."

Barbossa looked at the ground thoughtfully for a moment, and Jack's eyes flickered to me in an ashamed sort of way. I suddenly understood, my eyes went wide and I shook my head quickly. "Jack, please tell me that you didn't do-"

But it was too late, Barbossa's face had broken into a smile and he ordered his crew to head out after the _Interceptor._ Jack threw me another apologetic look before the large pirate slung me over his shoulder, carrying me toward the boats.

_This time, I'm really going to kill him..._


	17. Negotiations

My knees, instead of my face this time, hit the floor with a thud. It hurt, but not enough for me to look up and look smugly at the large pirate.

"You didn't get me this time, bucko." I sneered. His eyes flashed with anger and his hand clenched into a fist.

_I shouldn't have done that..._

He raised his hand to slap me across the face, and I braced myself, but the sharp pain across my face never came; Barbossa had suddenly caught his arm before he could, and gave him a warning.

"Bo'sun, you best be treating this lady like a guest." He told him, glaring at him. His gaze then traveled down to me and scanned me before flickering to Jack who was on the other side of the cabin, then back to the Bo'sun. "For now." He added before walking away.

_For now?_

It was then the Bo'sun's turn to sneer at me, and he walked out of the cabin with a smile upon his face. I heard Jack and Barbossa start a conversation behind me, but I didn't pay attention. I looked out the window, thinking about what happened earlier.

_Why had Jack's eyes flickered to me after he said that he knew whose blood they needed? Was I part of the leverage that Will had tried to warn me about, but I had been to stubborn to listen? And where was Will? Had he gotten Elizabeth and made it to the Interceptor alright?_

I had forgotten all about the conversation behind me, but a suddenly scoff from Barbossa brought me back to the present.

"So you expect to leave me standing on some beach, with nothing but a name, and your word it's the one I need, and watch you sail away in my ship?" Barbossa asked Jack, unbelievingly.

"No." Jack started to say. "I expect to leave you standing on some beach, with absolutely no name at all, watching me sail away on _my_ ship, and then I'll shout the name back to you. Savvy?"

I was lost; I should have been listening earlier.

"But that still leaves us with the problem of me standing on some beach, with naught but a name, and your word it's the one I need."

I turned around, to watch what was going on; Jack was shuffling through a bowl of apples on the table while Barbossa loathingly watched him. "Of the two of us..." Jack started to say, but I cut him off.

"Three." I said unexpectedly, wishing I hadn't. Jack and Barbossa turned to look at me with eyebrows raised, like they didn't know what I was talking about. "Three of us." I repeated, and they understood. Jack didn't seem to care, but Barbossa's eyes went narrow.

"Who are you?" He asked.

I opened my mouth to speak, but stopped when I noticed Jack signaling me not to tell.

_'Don't listen to him.' _A little voice in the back of my head said, and sadly, I listened to it. I threw Jack a glare before turning back to Barbossa.

"Cassandra."

"Cassandra...?" Barbossa said, waiting for me to finish.

"Livingston." I said, as his eyes went wide. "Cassandra Livingston."

Jack's eyes went wide, and his slapped his palm to his face. I knew he wanted to slap me, but I didn't care. I wanted to see him suffer after what he did earlier. Barbossa started to smirk after a moment of studying me in greater detail.

"Of the two of us _pirates_," Jack suddenly said, walking over to stand in front of me, blocking me from Barbossa's view. "I am the only one who hasn't committed mutiny, therefore, my word is the one we'll be trusting."

By the uncomfortable silence Barbossa was having, I could tell he didn't like the sound of that one bit. Jack moved out of the way in front of me, and Barbossa's eyes followed him across the room to where he sat down in a chair across from him.

"Although, I suppose I should be thanking you because, in fact, if you hadn't betrayed me and left me to die, I would have an equal share in that curse, same as you." Jack told him, biting into the apple he was holding. "Funny ol' world, innit?"

Barbossa nodded in disgust, looking longingly at the apple Jack was eating. After noticing where he was looking, Jack offered it to him as the Bo'sun suddenly reappeared beside me, making me jump back a few feet.

"Captain, we're coming up on the _Interceptor_."

Barbossa jumped to his feet, and scurried off to the deck. Jack jumped off to chase after him, but he stopped when I started to follow.

"You!" He said, pointing a finger at me.

"Me? What did I do?"

"You told him your name when I said not too!"

I smirked. "You didn't _say_ anything."

He glared at me. "I SIGNALED IT!" He yelled, waving his arms about. I put on a fake pout and took a step towards him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry." I said. "I don't understand loony."

His jaw dropped slightly, but he fixed it before I could tell for sure. He pushed off my hand and ran onto the deck, following Barbossa. I followed him, part of me feeling like I shouldn't have done that, but the other part felt a sort of satisfaction that he was mad at me at the same time I was.

When I finally caught up with him and Barbossa, you could see the_ Interceptor_way out into the distance. Barbossa was holding up a telescope to see the Interceptor better when Jack stepped in front of him, blocking the _Interceptor_ from view.

"I'm having a thought here, Barbossa." He said as Barbossa put down the telescope, glaring at him. "What say we run up a flag of truce? I scurry over to the _Interceptor_, and I negotiate the return of your medallion, eh? What say you to that?"

Barbossa started to smirk. "Now you see, Jack, that's exactly the attitude that lost you the _Pearl_." He told to Jack who nodded slightly, ashamed of himself. "People are easy to search when they're dead."

_NO!_

I lost my breath as Barbossa shut his telescope and turned to the Bo'sun. "Lock them in the brig."

* * *

**_Also, nineteennintytwo asked me if this story would later become a Jack/OC fict. I know that I said in the third chapter that I wouldn't make it one, but now that she said something about it, I can't help but think that it might be a good idea. The poll is up on my profile, please vote. It'll make a world of difference._**


	18. A Conversation In the Brig

I was quickly shoved into the _Black Pearl's_ brig with Jack pushed in right behind me. The floor was covered with water, which Jack highly disliked.

"Apparently there's a leak." He said, making the Bo' sun and I roll our eyes. I slumped down to floor, not caring that I was sitting in water; Jack stood and stared at the cell bars, as if they would magically disappear. I heard the Bo' sun leave and it went quiet.

"They can't keep us in here forever..." I sighed out, breaking the silence and putting my head in my hands.

"Well, they won't keep you in here forever." Jack started, giving up on the bar-staring and sinking to the floor, beside me. "For me...I'm not so sure."

"What do you mean they won't keep me in here?"

He sighed and played with his beard a little. "Why do you think I told you_ no__t _to tell Barbossa your name?" I shrugged and he rolled his eyes. "If I knew who you were, then he would know most _definitely _know who you are. I saw it in his eyes, he recognized you by your last name and-"

He suddenly stopped, glancing at me to see if I had been paying attention, which I had, and looked away.

"And what?"

It took a moment of pressuring him, but he finally turned back around to look at me, his eyes scanning my face, searching for something unknown to me. It was the first time I had really gotten a good look at him, not as a pirate, but as...a friend, and someone who genuinely wanted to keep me out of danger...sort of. His brown eyes met mine, and a small smile went across his face.

"He recognized you because you look like your mother."

I lost my breath for a moment, and suddenly a thousand questions started to run through my brain. I guess he could tell because his smile went wider.

"You look just like her, except for the eyes; those you got from your father." He said. "You sort of act like her as well, but you mostly act like your father, always doing what's best either for you or for others."

So, my mother gave me more than just a locket when she left me at the orphanage, and it took me more than 17 years and a pirate to help me figure it out. And my father, whoever he was, left me something as well. I felt as though I could cry, but I kept it in.

Jack looked away, probably thinking that I needed some time to myself, but I grabbed his arm and spun him around. "What was her name?"

He looked surprised at my actions, but he hid it well. "Alexandra Liv-" He started to say with a smile, but I cut him off.

"That's her _maiden_ name, I want to know her _married_ name!"

His smile slowly disappeared, and he started to rub the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that, luv."

The happiness I had been feeling towards him disappeared in an instant. "Why not?" I snapped, and he backed up from me a little. "Why can't I know my mother's name? I'm her daughter for God's sake! You're just a random person! I have the right to know!"

A frown crossed his face and I got the feeling that this was about to turn into a screaming match. "I was more than just a random person to your mother." He said calmly, trying to keep his cool.

"It doesn't matter! I'm her _family_!"

"Well, you wouldn't have been if-" He stopped himself. For a second we stared at each other, he was probably thanking the heavens that I couldn't read minds. But even if I didn't read minds, that didn't stop me from hearing the last words that came out of his mouth.

"What do you mean I wouldn't have been?"

He didn't answer, but got up and moved to the other side of the cell, which didn't make much of a difference since now he was just sitting in front of me instead of beside me. We glared at each other for awhile, silently daring one another to speak.

_Why didn't I have the right to know my mother's married name?_

I took off the locket from around my neck and absentmindedly started stroking it, wishing now more than ever that I had the key to open it. It's heart-shaped green jade center hardly showed any of my reflection, but enough for me to see that I looked sick, tired, and needed a bath.

_Good God, Jack was right. Will and I are turning into more and more of a pirate everyday..._

"Did you hear that?" Jack suddenly asked, breaking the silence. He stood up onto his knees and peered out through a small hole in the side of the ship.

"Hear wha-" Then I heard it, Barbossa shouting orders for his crew to fire and then someone else, a woman, distantly yelling the same thing. Before I could even ask Jack who he thought it could be, he tackled me to the floor just as a cannon fired from all around us.

He looked back up at the small hole he had been looking through, which now was a big hole.

"STOP BLOWING HOLES IN MY SHIP!"

"Umm...Jack?"

"What?"

I pointed at the cell door lock, which had been blown apart. He stood up and pushed on the door, having it open. A wide grin spread across his face and he turned to me. "Let's get out of here."


	19. Back On the Interceptor

It was a wonder to me how Jack and I had managed to make our way to the deck without getting caught, if had just been me alone trying to escape, I would've been caught in seconds. I guess Jack just had an aura of good luck that was surrounding him.

But now that we had made it to the deck, we still had to make our way through the cannon fire and chaos that was erupting all around us. I was stumped (of course), but Jack, being the quick thinker that he always is, grabbed my hand and dragged me up to the railing with him. As one of the pirates was swinging back over to the _Pearl_, he stuck out his hand, catching the rope the pirate was holding onto, making him go flying behind us.

Jack smiled slightly and offered me the rope. "Ladies first."

"I don't think so."

He frowned then shrugged. "Fine, then." He retorted. With a sudden and swift movement, he unexpectedly wrapped his arm around my waist before I could protest, and swung us off the side of the ship.

If it weren't for suddenly being airborne and having the feeling of weightlessness, I would've kill him right then and there, saving Barbossa the hassle. I glanced below us, but only for a second before my fear got the best of me and I stared fixedly ahead. I noticed Jack glance at me, a smile spreading across his face for split second, then just a fast as it had appeared, it disappeared in an instant, being replaced with a scowl.

I was confused by his actions when our feet finally hit the deck of the _Interceptor._ As soon as we landed, he let go of me, pushing me away like I was some disease he could suddenly catch. If it weren't for Gibbs, who I had been pushed into, I would've ended up falling over.

_What the hell was that for?_

I looked up at him, expecting an explanation, but he wasn't paying attention. He looking fixedly at Gibbs who for some reason, was surprised to see him alive.

"Jack?"

Jack reached inside of shirt and pulled out a canteen, which I recognized as Gibbs', and handed it to him. "Bloody empty." He noted, before running off. Gibbs stared at the canteen for a moment, then looked up at me.

"Cassandra?"

I had no time for this, I need to find Will. "Where is he?" I asked him franticly.

"Who?"

"WILL!"

Gibbs opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he his eyes fell on something behind me. I turned around, hoping it was Will, but was just as happy to see Elizabeth running toward me.

"Eliza-" I started to say, but was cut off when she gave a bone crushing hug.

"Cassandra! I can't believe it!" She exclaimed. "You're alive!"

_I sure hope I am, and let's keep it that way._

Gibbs watched us for a moment before punching an incoming attacking pirate in the face and running off, glad to get away for the sort of bitter sweet moment between Elizabeth and I.

"Where were you?" She asked me, releasing me.

"Well, Ja-"

I was cut off by a horrible screeching coming from behind me. I turned to find a crazy-eyed pirate, head thrown back and screaming a sort of battle cry, readying to attack us.

_Oh shit..._

He made a sudden rush at us. Elizabeth and I readied ourselves while in the back of my mind, I wished I had a pistol to shoot this guy with. Just as he reached us and raised his sword to plunge into me, a sudden hand grabbed the handle, stopping him. We all looked up to see Jack, his eyes going from me, to the pirate, and to the pirate's sword.

"That's not very nice."

It was an opportune moment, I punched the guy in the face, making him fall off the side of the ship.

"Thanks." I said to Jack, who once again ignored me. He went down to to his knees and pulled Elizabeth down with him.

"Where's the medallion?"

_What medallion?_

"Wretch!" She screams at him, and raises her hand to slap him. Before she could, though, he caught her hand and examined it. After a moment, a smile spreads across his face.

"Ahh. Where's dear William?"

Her eyes went wide and she looked over her shoulder at something distant. "Will..." She said to herself before racing off after whatever it was.

It was suddenly quiet, Jack and I looked at each other for moment.

"You scare me." I suddenly blurted out, making him frown slightly.

"Shut up, Alexandra."

_Alexandra?_

"What?"

His eyes were wide as he scanned my face. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Why would you call me that?"

He bit his lip before something behind me caught his eye. "MONKEY!" He screamed, running off. I frowned at the place he had been standing, now more confused than ever.

_Why would he call me by my mother's name?_

I wanted to sit and think this mystery out, but when I turned around, I ran into someone I really didn't want to see at the moment. The Bo'sun was smiling down at me, his teeth the ugly shade of yellow.

"Uh...Hi?"

And just as I suspected he would, he slung me over his shoulder, carrying me back over to the _Pearl._


	20. Back Again On the Pearl

Strangely enough, having myself slung over this large pirate's shoulder was starting to get oddly comfortable…that is until he dropped me again onto the deck of the Pearl.

Instead of leaving me there, though, he belligerently threw me against the mast with the others, including Elizabeth, who had been captured and started to tie us up. Will wasn't anywhere in sight, which bothered me, and a quick glance in Elizabeth's direction was enough for me to know that something was defiantly wrong.

"Elizabeth, what's-" Was all I was able to ask when the Bo' sun slammed me across the face, making it sting and most likely making a red mark appear.

"You shall speak when spoken to, wench."

I felt like responding back, but my eyes traveled to his hands that were down by his side, waiting to slap me if I spoke once more.

_Now I know what Jack feels like…_

Jack…why my thoughts had suddenly traveled to him was just as big a mystery as why he called me by my mother's name. I was confused, of course, and wanted an explanation. Even though he had said that I looked sort of like my mother when we were down in the Pearl's brig, I felt that it wasn't a good enough excuse for calling me Alexandra.

Elizabeth's elbow suddenly jabbing itself into my side was enough to bring me back to the present. I noticed more people had been tied up, except Jack who, instead of being tied up, was being held back by his former crew a couple of yards away.

As if knowing someone was looking at him, his face turned slightly to the left, having his gaze meet mine. For a split second, his eyes were dark, but then they brightened up a bit, and he gave me a small reassuring smile that I pretty much knew was fake.

Part of me wanted to return the smile, but I instead threw him a glare and turned to face straight ahead, suddenly finding a knife in my face.

"If any of you as much as thinks the word 'parley', I'll have your guts for garters."

_Well, that was cheerful…_

The balding pirate made his down the captives, holding a knife near everyone's face threateningly, probably hoping he was scaring us.

"Got that?" He said, reaching me and sticking the knife closer to my face.

I looked over him for a second, then smile slightly. "Sure thing, Chuckles."

His face fell and he went into a trance-like state of confusion, and out of the corner of my eyes I saw Jack looking straight ahead while smirking slightly.

'Chuckles' then returned from his trance-like state. "Why you little wench!"

_Is that my new nickname or something?_

He untied me and dragged me over to where Jack was standing and let the Bo' sun tie us together so we couldn't escape even if we wanted too.

"Hello, Cassandra." He whispered to me, sending unexpected chills down my spine for some reason.

"Hi." I said scathingly, looking straight ahead and not meeting his gaze.

He rolled his eyes at my stubbornness, and leaned in closer to my ear so that his breath tickled the back of my neck. "What I said was an accident, luv."

"I'm sure it was."

I was sure that he would've just sighed in annoyance and give up, but he instead leaned even closer, having his lips slightly graze my ear. "I promise."

"Whatever, I know that you're lying to me. Your charm doesn't work on me."

On the word charm, his smirk became even smugger, and his eyebrows rose. "How is that?"

I would've responded, but I was cut off by a huge explosion off in the distance and turned to find the _Interceptor_ blown to bits. Elizabeth was the first to react by rushing at Barbossa, screaming Will's name and attacking him.

"You've got to do something!" She screamed. Barbossa then turned and caught one of her wrist; bringing her face close to his.

"Welcome back, Miss. You took advantage of our hospitality last time. It holds fair now that you return the favor." He then pushed her toward his crew, who all grabbed at her while she screamed.

I tried to go after her, but having Jack's wrist tied with mine didn't help much so I had to stay put, watching helplessly.

"BARBOSSA!"

Everyone stopped moving and heads turned to find a familiar person leaping up onto the deck, pointing a pistol at Barbossa.

"She goes free." Will shouted at him, eyes flickering to Elizabeth.

It was silent for a moment before it was apparent that Barbossa didn't know who it was. "What's in your head, boy?"

"She goes free!"

_I think they get that part, Will!_

"You've only got one shot, and we can't die." Barbossa informed him, smirking at Will's stupidity.

"Don't do anything stupid!" Jack whispered to Will from beside me, biting his lip.

"You can't." Will said, suddenly pointing the pistol at himself. "I can."

"Like that…" Jack sighed out

Barbossa eyebrows rose in confusion as he stared at Will. "Who are you?"

Jack suddenly leapt into action, dragging me along with him. "No one. He's no one." He said, standing in front of Barbossa. "A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew twice removed. Lovely singing voice, though…he's a eunuch."

I kicked him, making him cringe in pain.

"My name is Will Turner . My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins." Will informed everyone.

One of the pirates, Chuckle's friend, gaped at him. "It's the spitting image of ol' Bootstrap Bill come back to haunt us….and his wife as well." His eyes flickering from Will to me.

_And his WHAT?_

My eyes went to Will who stared back, realizing what the pirate meant, but before we could say or do anything Barbossa was speaking. "Name your terms, Mr. Turner."

"Elizabeth goes free!"

"Yes, we know that one. Anything else?"

From beside me, Jack pointed at himself.

"And the crew! The crew is not to be harmed!"

I coughed loudly, making him turn his gaze to me. "And Cass, as well. She's not to be harmed."

As soon as he finished, he turned away, not wanting to look at me. I was thankful, for I didn't want to either. Only Jack was able to see the sudden awkwardness, and he put his arm around my shoulder, which I shoved off.

"Is this what you've been keeping from me?" I shouted at him, having everyone on deck look at us.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times before looking at the deck and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yes." He said. "Some of it."

_Some of it?_

I would've stomped off, but the rope tying us together held me back. Barbossa, who had totally ignored the argument Jack and I just had, stepped closer to Will.

"Is that all, Mr. Turner?"

"Yes."


	21. Walking The Plank

As soon as Will had said yes, Barbossa had ordered for the Bo' sun to take their captives below deck, chain them to the galley, and teach them how to row while he left Will, Jack, Elizabeth, and I on the deck.

Barbossa slowly turned and looked out to sea, smiling as he gaze fell upon the closest island near us. "Ah, Jack. Did ya not notice? That'd be the same little island we made you governor of on our last trip."

Everyone glanced at the island, suddenly realizing what Barbossa was planning to do. Will screamed in outrage as a dozen pirates grabbed Elizabeth and led her up to the plank leading off the side of the ship. Will was held back by a few pirates, but that didn't keep him from yelling at Barbossa.

"Barbossa, you lying bastard! You swore she'd go free!"

"Don't dare impugn me honor, boy." Barbossa replied back, stepping closer to Will. "I swore she'd go free, but it was you who failed to specify by when or where." A menacing smile had spread over his face by this time as Will was tied up.

Barbossa's gaze traveled back to Elizabeth who was staring down at the water horror. "It does seem a shame to be losing something so fine, don't it lads?" The whole crew started to chuckle as a wide smile spread across his face. "So I'd be having that dress back before you go."

Elizabeth glared at Barbossa before quickly taking it off and throwing it at him. "Goes with your black heart."

Barbossa smiled and felt the dress. "Oh, it's still warm." He said, throwing it into the crowd of pirates.

Jack smiled at the one pirate suddenly holding us back. "I've always liked you." He told him, receiving a growl in return. He shared a helpless glance with me as I sighed.

"My life officially sucks." I thought aloud which was a mistake since everyone could hear me.

"Well you won't have to suffer with it much longer." Barbossa replied to my comment with an even more evil crooked smile crossing his scarred face. "You're next."

_Of course..._

"Sounds great." I said sarcastically, flashing him a smile which he scoffed and rolled his eyes at, turning back around to watch Elizabeth. She was now at the end of the plank, still staring down at the water below her.

"Too long!" The Bo'sun suddenly yelled, stomping on the other end of the plank, making it wobble and sending Elizabeth into the water.

I only had milliseconds to mourn for Chuckles suddenly grabbed me by the neck and dragged me to the plank, where he let go of me and smiled. "Goodbye, wench."

I stared at him before spinning around, forgetting my anger at what he just called me and braced the horror of what might now be coming. I slowly inched my way toward the end, wanting to spend as much time as I could on the plank as the pirates would let me.

The water sloshing against the side of the ship didn't help me much though, in fact, if it did anything at all it made me lightheaded. I was now at the end of the plank, the world was spinning all around me as I tried to regain my balance. I could hear Chuckles and the rest of them laughing behind me.

"I'm having another thought here, Barbossa"

My lightheadedness went away just as fast as it had come with hearing Jack's voice. I slowly turned to see him approaching Barbossa with the pirate who was supposed to be holding him back at his heels.

"What is it now?" Barbossa snapped, visibly annoyed now with Jack who took no notice and put one of his hands on Barbossa's shoulder.

"You know, if you think about it..." Jack started, a sly look crossing his face. "she could be worth some value to you."

_WHAT?_

I couldn't even utter a sound. Firstly because I was too shocked and secondly I knew that if I started screaming Barbossa would forget all about Jack and have me ordered to be pushed off the side of the ship instead walk down the plank.

The look on Barbossa's face still showed he was annoyed with Jack's sudden outburst, but showed he was interested in what Jack had to say and whether or not he was right. "How so?"

Jack rolled his eyes as if it were obvious. "Well, she could be a source of much pleasure to you and your crew once the curse lifted, ey?" A frown crossed Barbossa's face as quickly glanced and looked me over. "Finally enjoy what you couldn't for the first time in awhile."

Even I knew what that meant; I glared at Jack as Barbossa scoffed. "What makes you think we would just keep her for that?"

It was quiet for a moment as a wide smile spread across Jack's lips. "Maybe you've forgotten, Barbossa. But he's only half Turner..." He told him, pointing nodding in Will's direction. "She makes the other."

The silence dragged on longer than I expected it too. But Barbossa's voice suddenly broke it.

"Bring the wench back and tie her up." He ordered, not taking his eyes off Jack.

Several mumblings of "yes, Captain" were heard before I saw the Bo'sun start heading for me. Without knowing what I was doing, I rushed toward him, not minding that he was about to chain me up, just knowing that he meant something other than just water under me.

I glared at Jack as I passed him on my way over to Will, hoping he knew I was not going to forgive him for this. He just sent me a crooked smile which made me suddenly understand why Barbossa loathed Jack so much.

Will watched me as I made my way toward him, sending me silent messages of relief that I was ok, but was now very angry that we would once again have to do something to get Elizabeth back.

A sudden movement behind made me spin around; Barbossa had unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Jack who had backed up a few steps, which surprisingly led him to the plank. "I'd really rather hoped we were past all this..."

"Perhaps you'll be able to conjure up another miraculous escape...but I doubt it." He brandished his sword at Jack's throat. "Off you go."

Jack eyes lingered on the sword for a moment. "Last time, you left me a pistol with one shot."

"By the powers, you're right. Where be Jack's pistol? Bring it forward." Barbossa said as he sheathed his sword and Chuckles brought the pistol forward and handed it to his captain.

"Seeing as there's two of us, a gentleman would give us a pair of pistols."

Barbossa rolled his eyes. "It'll be one pistol as before, and you can be the gentleman and shoot the lady and starve to death yourself." He said, throwing Jack's pistol into the sea.

The last thing I saw of Jack was him diving him in the sea after his pistol. The pirates around me laughed as Barbossa turned to face Will and I.

"Throw them in the brig."


	22. In the Brig Once More

The brig, even with its putrid smell of rotting wood and the more constant creaking of the ship, was silent and became a good place to think. I paced back and forth, feeling the eyes of the crew following me from the other cell.

I felt a little bad for not feeling any pity for Jack's fate. Though, I did feel quite sorry for Elizabeth who was now doomed to spend the rest of her days with that man.

I glanced over at Will and knew I wasn't the only one thinking about Elizabeth. He sat staring at the floor with his head in his hands with a depressed look on his face.

"Will?"

He gave no audible response, but his eyes flickered toward me for a second before returning to the floor in a '_don't bother me_' sort of way. I sighed and returned to my pacing which seemed to be the only thing keeping me from growing agitated at the situation.

...Or maybe not.

I heaved a sigh and stopped in mid-pace right in front of where Will was sitting.

"We need to get out of here." I said to no one in particular, looking around for anything in the slightest that might help us to escape. No reply came from anyone but I could feel the crew their eyes upon me while I thought of what to do. My eyes hit the rafters behind Will and a sudden plan came to mind.

I rolled up the sleeves of my dress and started to climb.

"There's no use, Cass." I heard Will mumble from below me.

"You know, in light of the current situation I would think you would be on my side." I retorted while carefully watching where I put my hands as I pulled myself upwards.

He sighed. "Get down from there; you're going to hurt yourself."

"Stop being such a worry wart! I'm going to be fine!" I snapped, aiming a kick at his head which missed by several feet. Will went quiet but it didn't stop him from acting like a protective older brother and stand to the side while watching me carefully to make sure I wouldn't hurt myself.

At the realization of what I had just compared Will to made me lose my balance for a split second and regain it before he could notice. The words 'protective older brother' rang loudly in my ears for a few moments before I realized I wasn't moving and started to climb again.

Remembering what had happened on the deck earlier had made it suddenly feel weird to make an older brother connection to Will. For years in Port Royal when people had asked about my relationship with him I had answered with '_He's like an older brother to me_' which was true since he was my best friend and looked after me.

"Are you going to give up now, Cass? You're almost there."

I snapped out of my train of thought and looked around, noticing I had once again stopped moving but was near the top of the rafters.

"No, I was-"

I fell silent when the door to the brig slowly creaked open and the shadows of two figures appeared at the top of the stairs. Chuckles and his friend slowly descended them, carrying mops and a bucket.

"Look, all I'm sayin' is-" Pintel started before he caught sight of me. It only took one second for him to know what my plan had been.

"That ain't going to work. That's the gun deck above ye."

_Well that's a slight disadvantage..._

Slightly discouraged, I dropped lightly to the deck while everyone watched silently as the two cursed pirates started swabbing the deck. After a few moments, Cotton's parrot squawked from the other cell.

"Awwk, shiver me timbers."

Gibbs glanced at the parrot. "Cotton 'ere says you missed a bit."

Pintel glared and slammed his mop into the cell doors, spraying them with the water and causing them to back up a little bit. Will suddenly rushed up to the cell doors beside me.

"You knew William Turner?"

His question was sudden, but Pintel didn't looked shocked or surprised that he asked. He slowly came to a stop swabbing the deck and looked up at him.

"Ol' Bootstrap Bill?" He said thoughtfully, still looking at the floor. "We knew him... Never sat well with Bootstrap what we did to Jack Sparrow, the mutiny and all." He took a glance at Will and an evil grin crossed his face. "He said it wasn't right with the Code. That's why he sent off a piece of the treasure to you as it were. He said we deserved to be cursed…and remained cursed."

"Stupid blighter." Came Pintel's partner's voice from across the room, walking toward him.

"Good man." Interjected Gibbs, glaring at Pintel as if he had insulted his mother.

"Well, as you can imagine..." Pintel started, rolling his eyes back to Will. "...that didn't sit too well with the Captain."

"That didn't sit too well with the Captain at all." His friend said, reaching Pintel and nudging him. "Tell him what Barbossa d-"

"I'M TELLING THE STORY!" Pintel interrupted, making his friend shrink back a bit but kept his mouth shut before continuing with his story. "So…what the Captain did, he strapped a cannon to Bootstraps' bootstraps... The last we saw of ol' Bill Turner, he was sinking to the crushing black oblivion of Davy Jones' Locker."

The look on Will's face couldn't have been more upsetting. He had hands tightly gripped to cell bars and was staring at the floor with no expression whatsoever.

"Course it was only after that we learned we needed his blood to lift the curse." Pintel added, looking at his friend.

"That's what you call ironic." He said, making them bust out laughing and hold on their mops for support. I was hardly paying attention though, I was too busy watching my best friend stare at the ground.

"Will?"

He looked up at me, opening his mouth to speak but stopped when the sounds of boots were coming down the brig stairs. Barbossa suddenly appeared, making Pintel and his friend quickly go quiet. For a moment he stared at them before throwing a set of keys at Pintel.

"Bring them."


	23. Jacks Return

The stench of must and mold filled my nostrils. The humidity of the cave we were being lead back into took my breath away and I could feel my hair starting to frizzle (not that it mattered much, I hadn't bathed for days and I already felt disgusting). My step faltered and I fell face-first into the cave floor covered with gold coins. I had no time to take in my surroundings and what had happened before being jerked back onto my feet by Pintel.

"No reason to fret." His booming voice told me, echoing along the dark tunnel. His fingers dug into my arm as he started dragging me behind Will. "It's just a prick of the finger, a few drops of blood."

_But I'm allergic to blood..._

A hand grabbed my shoulder, causing me to suddenly stop and almost fall over once again. "No mistakes this time." The hand's owner whispered into my ear, I turned my head slightly to find two menacing brown eyes glaring at me. "He's only half-Turner. We spill it all and leave the girl for our pleasures!"

The pirate suddenly pushed me forward, but not before I saw Pintel's greedy eyes travel down my body.

"I guess there is reason to fret." I heard him whisper to his friend before they both burst into laughter.

* * *

I felt like I was in a dream standing upon a pile with two pirates holding me back. Will was being forcefully bent over a large chest filled coins by two others while Barbossa stood in front of us, with what looked like an evil twinkle in his eyes. The pirates started cheering as he spoke his first few words.

"Begun by blood..."

The feeling of hopelessness suddenly washed over me and I lowered my head in defeat with tears in my eyes. There was no way out of this, no magical solution, no miraculous method, no inexplicable-

My watery eyes had caught an unusual movement in the crowd.

"By blood undone!" I heard Barbossa continue, but didn't pay attention.

Tears rolled down my face and cleared my vision to see a familiar someone making his way toward us.

"Jack!" I heard myself call to him, my voice cracking. Barbossa had stopped his speech to stare wide-eyed at Jack's approaching figure, who flashed his famous smile at me. The pirates cheering came to a halt as they also stared at this thought-to-be-dead man. Barbossa had recovered from his shock and glared down at him.

"It's not possible."

"Not probable!" Jack exclaimed coming closer towards us.

_Got that right..._

"Where's Elizabeth?" Will stood up, asking frantically. I almost rolled my eyes at his question, since I knew it was probably the first thing that was going to come out of his mouth.

Jack pushed past the Bo' sun and trampled into water. He looked up at Will breathlessly and smiled. "She's safe, just like _I_ promised. She's all set to marry Norrington, just like _she_ promised." He pointed to Will. "And you get to die for her, just like _you_ promised. So we're all men of our word really...except for Elizabeth who is, in fact, a woman and Cassandra-" He now pointed his finger toward me. "Who did a very horrible job at making sure William didn't do anything stupid."

I opened my mouth to retort but kept silent.

"Shut up!" Barbossa snapped. "You're next!"

The Bo'sun grabbed Jack and started to carry him away. Barbossa grabbed Will's hair and pulled him down to his level. He started to raise a knife to Will's throat when Jack's voice echoed around the cave.

"You don't want to be doing that, mate..."

I knew if looks could kill, Jack would have been dead a long time ago, but the look Barbossa gave him I swear should have burnt him to a crisp right then and there. "No, I really think I do."

"Your funeral." Jack responded with a shrug, motioning to the Bo' sun to start carrying him away again.

I saw Barbossa roll his eyes in Will's face before standing up and face Jack's direction. "_Why_ don't I want to be doing it?"

A smug grin crossed Jack's face. "Well, because..." He struggled out the Bo' sun's grip." Because the _HMS Dauntless, _pride of the Royal Navy, is floating just offshore...waiting for you."

That's when the uproar started.


	24. Jack's Proposal

"Just hear me out, mate." Jack started to propose to Barbossa. "You order your men to row out to the _Dauntless_, and they'll do what they do best." The crew of the Black Pearl chuckled at the thought of bloodshed. "Robert's your Uncle, Fannie's your Aunt, there you are with two ships." Jack continued. "The makings of your very own fleet."

Will and I exchanged looks. By the sound of what he was proposing, it was not going to end well for us.

"Course you'll take the grandest as your flagship, and who's to argue? But what of the _Pearl_?" Jack asked, pausing for a split second. "Name me Captain, I'll sail under your colors, I'll give you ten percent of me plunder and you get to introduce yourself as _Commodore Barbossa_." He flashed his famous smile. "Savvy?"

Through Jack's entire speech, Barbossa had not made a sound; He stood facing Jack with his arms folded with a bored yet thoughtful expression upon his face. "I s'pose in exchange, you want me not to kill the whelp nor the girl." He shot a glare at Will and I, his yellow eyes flashing with rage.

"No, no, not at all by all means, kill the whelp and his girlfriend." Jack started, making me struggled with the two pirates holding me back.

"You bastard!" I screamed at him, struggling harder. "I trusted you!"

Barbossa's still rage filled eyes traveled back to me as he took a step forward before slapping me across the face. "Shush it, girly." He said curtly, turning back to face Will and I's betrayer. He eyed me for a second then slowly started to speak.

"Where was I...?" Jack asked, still eying me. His eyes shot back to Barbossa. "Ah yes, don't kill them yet. Wait to lift the curse until the opportune moment." He took a glance at Will then looked back at Barbossa. "...For instance?" He picked up a few gold medallions from the chest. "After you've killed Norrington's men?" He threw them back as he spoke. "Every...last...one."

It was dead quiet; the only sounds were that of the water hitting the rocks. I looked at the ground as we waited for Barbossa's reply. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jack pocket something gold and shiny.

Will must've seen it too for he suddenly started to scream. "You've been planning this from the beginning! Ever since you learned our names!"

Jack looked thoughtful while staring at Will for a moment. "...Yeah."

Before Will could reply he was cut by Barbossa. "I want fifty percent of your plunder.

Jack was quick to reply. "Fifteen."

"Forty."

"Twenty-five. And I'll buy you the hat." Jack said. Barbossa's eyes flashed to the dark blue tattered hat on top of his head. "A really big one...Commodore."

Barbossa's scarred face twisted into a disturbing smile. "We have an accord." They shook hands and turned to the crowd of pirates.

"All hands to the boats!" Jack exclaimed, stopping short after he finished. He glanced at Barbossa out of the corner of his eye who glared at him with much askance. "...Apologies. You give the orders."

Barbossa nodded curtly and turned back toward his crew. " Gents...take a walk."

"Not to the boats?" Jack asked quizzically as the pirates muttered excitedly and made their way into the water.

Barbossa and I stared at him with disbelief.

"Jack...you're an idiot."

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	25. One Last Shot

**Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter!**

nineteennintytwo: Yeah, sorry. Life got in the way. You know that feeling, right?

CrimsonHikariPie: Soon enough? :P

hatter sammy: Makes me so happy to hear that someone else loves this story. :) thanks

PheonixWing1110: This one is (alot) longer. Is it written well though?

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keiraliz: Actually, I had to re-read my story to remember where I was. *ashamed face* Anyway, this chapter is longer for you!

**This chapter is longer. There might be grammar mistakes though, but hopefully not too many. Thank you for all your reviews! I love you all!**

* * *

Immediately after the last of the pirates' footsteps disappeared and stopped echoing around in the cave, Barbossa suddenly turned around and leaned close to Will and I's faces. His yellow eyes went back and forth between us, scanning us for something unknown to us while his utterly horrible breath filled my nostrils.

"Any funny business from you two and I'll spill both your blood in an instant."

_Note taken..._

As he walked away, I shot a look to Will. His eyes weren't frightful, like I hoped mine were, but instead looked annoyed.

"Bo'sun!" Barbossa screamed, signally the biggest brute of his crew that had stayed behind while the other pirates had left to deal with the Royal Navy. "I want you in charge of the brats."

The large monster grinned maniacally, absolutely enjoying the idea of holding us against our will. One of his large dirty hands traveled up the length of my hair, surprisingly gentle, until he caught me by surprise by bringing his hand around my throat and grasping it tightly in his hand, nearly crushing my windpipe.

My reflex action was to try to pry his hands off my throat, which failed and only made him squeeze harder. He forcefully pulled me back to where his lips were at my ear.

"I'll be da first to rip that dress offa ya when the curse is broken." He whispered heatedly into my ear while I struggled to breathe. Darkness was starting to close in when I faintly heard Barbossa call out.

"Bo'sun! You best be letting her go or you'll be receiving a shot to the head when the curse is lifted!"

The hand clamped around my throat reluctantly released and air went shooting through my windpipe and into my lungs. I crumpled to the ground, coughing hard as water soaked into my dress.

_Bastard… _

As I was kneeled over trying to force air back into my lungs, Barbossa sat himself on the pile of coins the chest was sitting on. I looked up and saw Jack sifting through the treasure on the other side of the cave.

Once again, Barbossa's voice filled the cave, but it was now directed at Jack. "I must admit, Jack. I thought I had ye figured…but it turns out that you're a hard man to predict."

Jack turned and chuckled. "Me? I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest." Jack tossed the strange looking figurine he had been examining aside, and started walking in Barbossa's direction. "Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly…." He suddenly came to a halt behind another pirate who had stayed behind and turned his gaze to Will. "..stupid."

In the blink of an eye, before anyone realized what was happening, Jack had reached out and unsheathed the pirate's sword and pushed him into the water in front of him. He threw the sword to Will, and went straight for Barbossa.

Will caught the sword and knocked the Bo'sun away from him, which the Bo'sun didn't expect and fell to the ground. In the spilt second he was caught off guard, I reached over and unsheathed his sword, quickly getting to my feet and pointing the sword at his throat.

"Still want to rip this dress off me, you big ugly brute?" I stuck the knife into his throat, just hard enough so it wasn't bleeding.

The Bo'sun knocked my sword away, unsheathing another sword he had been concealing.

_I was not expecting that…_

He jumped to his feet and furiously swung at my head, which I narrowly dodged by ducking. I leaped back up quickly and lunged at his throat, hoping to inflict some of the pain he had caused me earlier, forgetting he was a cursed immortal pirate and couldn't feel pain to begin with.

Back and forth this battle went between us; him parrying my basic attacks and me barely being able to sidestep his.

I heard the clanging of swords behind me, and I knew Will was fending other pirates off him. I glanced to my left and saw Barbossa kick Jack to the ground and throw down his sword.

"You can't beat me, Jack!" He screamed in annoyance. Jack clambered to his feet and stabbed Barbossa, who visibly rolled his eyes and pulled the sword out of himself, without spewing a single drop of blood. He turned the sword around and pushed the sword into Jack.

As I watched Jack out of the corner of my eye try to speak, my stomach clenched. I wanted to scream in horror, but I couldn't with the Bo'sun still attacking me.

Will had somehow put a bowl on one of the pirate's heads and threw him into the water, allowing himself a moment of peace to look up and watch the horror unfold.

But no horror did unfold.

Jack stepped back into the moonlight, still trying to speak, when suddenly his flesh fell away and living skeleton appeared. Skeleton Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin.

"Couldn't resist, mate."

The fighting began once again. The Bo'sun screamed and ran after Will this time, having been annoyed at my speed at dodging his attacks. I heard a sizzling sound behind me and turned to see one of the other pirates had lit a bomb.

"Will!" I screamed, running away just in time before it exploded but still being knocked to the ground. Both of my hands were stinging from me trying to catch myself and instead having them scrap against the cave floor. I looked at them and saw the scratch marks slowly start to bleed.

_Perfect..._

A shining piece of metal caught my eye and I picked it up, realizing Will had dropped his cursed coin. I stuffed it into my dress and raced toward him, hoping to help him out of his current situation. Will had been knocked backward as the Bo'sun advanced on him, screaming furiously. "I'm gonna teach you the meaning of pain!" He raised his sword to plunge it into Will, but was stopped by a familiar voice.

"You like pain?" The female voice said from behind the Bo'sun. A large staff was suddenly slammed into his head and he crumpled to the floor, revealing the owner of the voice.

"Try wearing a corset!" Elizabeth said to the Bo'sun's mangled body. She turned and held the staff out for Will, who grabbed on and was helped up. They looked at each other lovingly for a moment before the fight between Jack and Barbossa caught their eye.

"Whose side is Jack on?" Elizabeth asked, a frown crossing her face.

Will shrugged. "At the moment...?"

Just then the pirate with the bowl on his head managed to get free and Elizabeth turned around and knocked his head off with her staff. Will grabbed one end and twirled it around and pushed two other pirates away just as they advanced.

I spotted a moment of opportunity and grabbed the end of the staff Will was holding, and Elizabeth joined me. "On three." I said, watching the pirates shake their heads to relief the dizziness.

"One...two...three!" We all ran as the pirates stood up, plunging the staff into all three and making a skeleton pirate kabob. I reached into the middle pirate's pocket and found a bomb. I smiled as I handed it to Will, letting him do the honors.

Will quickly lit it and stuffed it into the pirates ribs, then we all pushed them back out of the moonlight, making them return to their human forms. The sizzling of the bomb could still be heard as the middle one felt around his chest. He looked up at us with defeat and managed to to let us know we weren't fighting fair before they all exploded into tiny pieces.

"Will..." I said, finally having a moment of peace. I dug his cursed coin out of my dress, noticing it was now covered in my blood from my scratched hands. "Try to be more careful, we need this thing to get us out of this mess." Will snatched it out of my hands quickly and examined it before running off.

I turned to see Jack and Barbossa still fighting. Jack must've seen what we all had done and suddenly took his sword and cut his hand, letting it bleed onto his piece of cursed treasure. Elizabeth suddenly took off and raced to stop Barbossa as Jack tossed his coin to Will, who was now standing by the chest.

A sudden gunshot rang through the cavern. I saw Barbossa lower the gun he had been pointing at Elizabeth and turn to Jack, who was standing in smoke. Once it cleared, I saw that he too was pointing his pistol at Barbossa.

"Ten years you carry that pistol, and now you waste your shot." Barbossa sneered at Jack, almost laughing.

"He didn't waste it."

All eyes turned to Will as he dropped Jack's and his medallion into the chest, lifting the curse. It was horribly quiet for a moment as look of realization crossed Barboss's face. He quickly dropped his weapons and opened his shirt, revealing a gunshot that was now starting to ooze blood.

"I feel...cold."

Barbossa slowly fell back, his eyes glassy and unblinking. It was over...for now.

Jack slowly walked up to his former first mate's body. He examined it for a moment before kicking Barbossa's boot, and jumping back with his hands in the air. When nothing happened for a far amount of time, Jack let out a cheer.

"He's dead! I've gone and killed his bloody arse!"

It seemed as if Will, Elizabeth, and I let out our first breath since the gunshot. Will slid down the pile of treasure and I raced to him, wrapping my arms around him in a hug.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" I said happily, letting go of him and then flung my arms around Elizabeth. "Both of you!"

"Cass-?" Will started to say, but I cut him off by pumping my fist into the air and cheering.

"We're going home!"

"Cassand-"

"I can't believe it's over!"

"Cassandra Livingston!" Will snapped, wrapping his hand around my arm and dragging me off to the side where no one could hear us. "We need to talk."

"Well...what is it?"

Will looked somewhat in shock, but he kept his composure. "I...I didn't put my blood on that medallion."

_...What?_

"The curse is lifted, you've had to for it to..."

"Your blood was on it. Remember?"

I did. I didn't want to realize the truth though.

Will continued somberly, "I wanted to see if what they said was true...I never believed it was until...now."

"I understand, Will...I felt the same way."

An awkward silence followed. Will suddenly took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around me in a brotherly way. "I love you, Cassandra."

"I love you too, Will."


End file.
